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ANAHEIM, Calif. | Roles are still evolving for a Royals bullpen that endured a battering in Tuesday’s 11-6 loss at Seattle. That came after getting an extended rest the two previous days when Brian Bannister and Zack Greinke pitched consecutive complete games.
All that’s certain at this point, it seems, is Joakim Soria is the closer.
“Everyone understands down there that I like everyone from the fifth inning on,” manager Trey Hillman said. “Everybody is conditioned and has the physical ability to go two-plus (innings), including Soria.”
That means Hillman views Soria as more than a one-inning closer, which goes against the grain for most managers.
“I could use him to start the eighth,” Hillman confirmed, “depending on how the matchup falls and what we’ve done prior to that. He’s conditioned for it, and I’m not afraid to do that. I don’t want to make a habit of it, but I’ll do it occasionally. If I felt Soria was our best chance to go six up and six down, even on the road, I might go there.”
Everything else will work around Soria, who has yet to allow a run this season in seven one-inning appearances.
Hillman admits a preference for Leo Nuñez in the eighth inning and Ramon Ramirez in the seventh. Nothing firm, though. Jimmy Gobble seems set as the unit’s situational left-hander, but veteran Ron Mahay also has been tough on lefties throughout his 12-year career.
Newcomer Yasuhiko Yabuta was a primary setup man in Japan and was signed, presumably, to fill that role for the Royals. Hillman has chosen instead to use him as a middle reliever in an effort to ease the acclimation process.
“I want there to be some flexibility with six, seven and eight,” Hillman said. The bullpen carried a 2.50 ERA into Wednesday’s game against the Angels. It was 1.16 before yielding six runs in five innings Tuesday to the Mariners.
Seeking alternatives
Left-hander John Bale will be monitored closely over the next few days after professing to a “dead arm” following his rough outing Tuesday in Seattle.
“He’s just tired,” pitching coach Bob McClure said. “Most pitchers get it at some point in the season. It just feels like the ball isn’t coming out of your hand right. It usually goes away.
“There is some concern there that it happened this early. We need to keep an eye on it.”
Bale is a converted reliever who won a spot in the rotation by posting a strong spring. But he is 0-3 and has allowed 13 runs and 25 hits in 15 1/3 innings.
The obvious replacement candidate is Luke Hochevar, who pitched six shutout innings Tuesday for Omaha in a 4-1 victory at Nashville. He could slide into Bale’s spot and pitch Sunday on his usual rest.
Moustakas struggling
Shortstop Mike Moustakas, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, is recovering from a tight hamstring on top of battling a slump at Class A Burlington.
Moustakas is two for seven in two games since returning to the lineup. He played in the field Wednesday for the first time in a week after serving Tuesday as the DH.
Moustakas, 19, is off to a slow start in his first full season of pro ball. He has just seven hits and one RBI in 36 at-bats. All seven hits have been singles.
| Year | Value |
| 2008 | $301 million |
| 2007 | $282 million |
| 2006 | $239 million |
| 2005 | $187 million |
| 2004 | $171 million |
| 2003 | $153 million |
| 2002 | $152 million |
| 2001 | $138 million |
| 2000 | $122 million |
| 1999 | $96 million |
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