DETROIT | OK, it&rsquo;s a low-risk move. Even so, it&rsquo;s worth noting the Royals&rsquo; first step this month, which ends with the nonwaiver trading deadline, is to add a player rather than sell someone off.</p><p> Monday&rsquo;s acquisition of outfielder/third baseman Ryan Freel from the Chicago Cubs, at minimum, figures to inject a little more speed and versatility into a struggling and injury-thinned attack.</p><p> &ldquo;Historically, he&rsquo;s been a tough out,&rdquo; general manager Dayton Moore said. &ldquo;We look at him as an upgrade for us compared to where we are.</p><p> &ldquo;He might be a little below speedwise from what he was, but he&rsquo;s a high-energy guy with a reputation for playing hard. He&rsquo;s versatile and athletic.&rdquo;</p><p> Still, Freel was also designated for assignment last Thursday by the Cubs after getting just four hits in 28 at-bats following his May 8 acquisition from Baltimore for former Royals outfielder Joey Gathright.</p><p> The Royals surrender a player to be determined but receive sufficient cash from the Cubs to cover most of $2 million remaining on Freel&rsquo;s contract.</p><p> Freel, 33, has a .269 career average in 576 games over eight seasons with 22 homers and 119 RBIs. He has 143 career steals, including 110 for the Reds during 2004-06.</p><p> &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see how his legs are,&rdquo; manager Trey Hillman said. &ldquo;I spoke to him (Monday), and he said he&rsquo;s 100 percent health-wise. His history shows he&rsquo;s got the ability to steal bases; he&rsquo;s got lateral range and speed.&rdquo;</p><p> Freel&rsquo;s physical condition is a key issue. A torn right hamstring limited him to 48 games last season at Cincinnati, and he missed much of this season while playing for the Orioles and Cubs because of a concussion and a strained left hamstring.</p><p> The Royals anticipate adding Freel to their 25-man roster before tonight&rsquo;s game against the Tigers at Comerica Park. To do so, they must clear space by making a corresponding roster move. </p><p> Freel, a right-handed hitter, spent the six previous seasons with Cincinnati before a Dec. 9 trade sent him to Baltimore with third baseman Brandon Waring and second baseman Justin Turner for catcher Ramon Hernandez and cash.</p><p> Problems started this season for Freel on April 20 when he was hit in the head by a pickoff throw at second base at Boston. He was eventually diagnosed as suffering a concussion.</p><p> Freel didn&rsquo;t play again for the Orioles before moving on to Chicago, where he battled a sore left hamstring for about two weeks before a May 28 move placed him back on the disabled list.</p><p> The Royals scouted Freel when he went 10 for 24 in a seven-game rehab assignment at Class AAA Iowa. He played just four games after rejoining the Cubs, going one for 10, prior to being designated for assignment.</p><p> &ldquo;He can definitely be an option in center field,&rdquo; Hillman said. </p><p>&ldquo;Especially with our big ballpark, if his speed plays out the way we hope it does, he gives us more lateral range regardless of where we use him.&rdquo;</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Gordon update</span></strong></p><p>Third baseman Alex Gordon went zero for two with three walks Monday in Class AA Northwest Arkansas&rsquo; 11-7 victory at Corpus Christi.</p><p> Gordon is seven games into a rehab playing assignment as part of his recovery from April 17 surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right hip. Plans call for him to rejoin the Royals after the All-Star break. </p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Ponson, Davies win</span></strong></p><p>Veteran right-hander Sidney Ponson pitched eight scoreless innings Monday afternoon in Omaha&rsquo;s 2-0 victory at Oklahoma City. He permitted six hits, all singles, in a tidy 91-pitch effort.</p><p> Ponson had a 2.42 ERA through five starts on a rehab assignment while recovering from a strained right elbow. </p><p>Kyle Davies won his third straight start Sunday for Omaha since his June 20 demotion but wasn&rsquo;t as sharp as in his previous two. Although he allowed just one run in five innings he threw 89 pitches, and walked four, in a 4-1 victory at Oklahoma City.