Royals notebook: Club sets roster for opening day

MILWAUKEE | Those with options available paid the price Saturday when the Royals revealed their 25-man roster for Monday’s opener in Detroit.

There were no surprises, though.

The roster consists of 24 active players because catcher Miguel Olivo will miss the season’s first four games while serving a suspension stemming from an on-field fight last September while a member of the Florida Marlins.

Rookie catcher Matt Tupman will serve as John Buck’s backup in Olivo’s absence. Tupman and reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta, a free-agent signee from Japan, are the club’s only rookies.

The Royals began the day with 35 players on their camp roster, although right-hander Luke Hudson remained in Arizona for rehab work to recover from shoulder surgery. He will be placed on the 15-day disabled list before the 2 p.m. deadline today for setting the roster.

Four players were optioned to Class AAA Omaha: first baseman Ryan Shealy, outfielder Mitch Maier and relievers Joel Peralta and Neal Musser. Shealy, Peralta and Musser were strong candidates to make the roster. Competition was particularly fierce in the bullpen, where Leo Nuñez and just-acquired Ramon Ramirez were out of options.

“You always want to stockpile pitching,” general manager Dayton Moore acknowledged, “especially at the beginning of the year.”

Five other players were reassigned to minor-league camp: infielders Angel Berroa and Jason Smith and relievers Brandon Duckworth, Brad Salmon and Hideo Nomo.

Interest in De La Rosa

The Rockies are interested in left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, if he clears waivers, as the player to be determined in last Wednesday’s trade that brought Ramirez to the Royals.

That suggests the Rockies want De La Rosa to pitch in the minors. Otherwise, the deal for Ramirez could have been a straight trade.

Any club claiming De La Rosa on waivers would be on the hook for his $1.025 million salary. He can choose to become a free agent if he clears waivers but would forfeit his salary if he does so.

If De La Rosa clears waivers and accepts the assignment, he can be traded as a minor-league player. A player to be determined later can’t be a player on a club’s 40-man roster.

Yabuta better

The day-after reports on Yabuta were upbeat. He suffered a deep bruise on his right leg Friday when hit by Ryan Braun’s low liner. Yabuta left the game without assistance and subsequent X-rays revealed nothing beyond a bruise.