Royals notebook: Olivo, Hillman say they’ve patched things up
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
DETROIT | Veteran catcher Miguel Olivo made his first appearance Sunday since venting his anger at manager Trey Hillman in an interview with The Kansas City Star over a lack of playing time.
“We talked like 30 minutes (on Saturday),” Olivo said. “We talked man-to-man. It was good. It’s over.”
Olivo told The Star in Friday’s editions that he would not exercise a mutual option — “Hell, no,” — to return next season and cited the lack of communication with Hillman as a primary reason.
Hillman said the decision to play Olivo in the series finale had nothing to do with the catcher’s criticism.
“That’s certainly not the motivation to get Miggy back in right away,” Hillman said. “Even with the article and some misunderstandings, there was never any intention of sitting him and letting him die.
“The bottom line is the guy wants to play. That happens. We’ve talked about it extensively, and we’re both fine with each other.”
It was odd, perhaps, that Olivo’s return occurred with Gil Meche on the mound. Olivo hasn’t caught Meche since June 5 — and Meche had been on a roll while working with John Buck.
Meche entered Sunday at 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 starts since he last teamed with Olivo. Hillman dismissed that concern before the game.
“Earlier in the season,” he said, “we had success with Miggy catching Gil a couple of times. It’s not anything that I was concerned about in terms of a pitcher/catcher matchup.”
Aviles injured
Mike Aviles contends he was just trying to get out of the way when struck in the right index finger by a pitch from Detroit starter Armando Galarraga in the seventh inning.
Umpire Brian O’Nora ruled Aviles was swinging at the pitch, which meant the ball was live when it squirted a few feet into fair territory. Tigers catcher Dane Sardinha retrieved the ball and recorded an out by tagging Aviles as he lay curled at the plate in pain.
“I wasn’t necessarily going to swing at the pitch,” Aviles said, “but I was starting my swing. It was 3-2, so I was in swing mode. The ball ran in on me. A lot. And it got me.”
Aviles left the game and underwent X-rays, which showed nothing more than a bruise — a painful bruise. He could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday’s series opener against Oakland at Kauffman Stadium.
Grudzielanek update
The results of Mark Grudzielanek’s latest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam all but ruled out a return to action in the season’s closing days.
Grudzielanek has been out since suffering a torn deltoid ligament in his right ankle in a collision with first baseman Ross Gload while chasing after a pop-up.
“The MRI shows some healing at this point,” trainer Nick Swartz said. “It’s not fully healed. We’re really looking at another three or four weeks before he’d be on-field ready. There is healing taking place.”
Personnel moves
It will be a more-crowded clubhouse Tuesday when the Royals open a three-game series against Oakland at Kauffman Stadium. Hillman has already indicated the club plans to add four to six players once the rules permit rosters to expand.
The Royals took the first preliminary moves Sunday by recalling left-handed pitchers Jimmy Gobble and John Bale from their minor-league rehab assignments. That decision is a likely precursor to adding both to the active roster before Tuesday’s game. Lefty reliever Ron Mahay should also be activated Tuesday after experiencing no problems Sunday with his sore left foot in a bullpen workout.
First baseman Ryan Shealy is also expected to be recalled. Other top candidates currently on the 40-man roster include catcher Matt Tupman and pitchers Neal Musser and Josh Newman.
Club officials continue to debate whether to add first baseman Kila Kaaihue to the roster.
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