Infante works out with Royals

Second baseman Omar Infante rejoined the Royals on Sunday morning at Comerica Park, and the slight discomfort in his right elbow made the trip from Arizona with him. The feeling is a “pinch” that occurs when he swings or throws, a product of the bone spur in his joint.

“When I’m starting to throw, I feel the pain a little bit,” Infante said after he had completed a workout and the team had finalized their 25-man roster. “When I get warm, I feel good.”

While the Royals played the Brewers on Friday and Saturday, Infante stayed back at the complex in Surprise to appear in minor-league games. He informed team officials he could handle the discomfort, which required a cortisone shot on March 18.

To put the finishing touches on their roster, the Royals placed reliever Louis Coleman (bruised right middle finger) and reliever Luke Hochevar (Tommy John surgery) on the 15-day disabled list. Coleman is eligible to return on April 8. Hochevar can be transferred to the 60-day disabled list later in the season if the club needs to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

As insurance for Infante, Pedro Ciriaco made the team as a backup middle infielder. The Royals believe the elbow issue is a minor one. Infante must learn to manage the pain. He admitted he was unsure if he would need extra days off during the first few weeks as he sought comfort.

Manager Ned Yost was more definitive. He views Infante, who signed a four-year, $30.25 million contract in the winter, as an everyday player.

“Everybody is feeling something,” Yost said. “We’ve just gone through six long weeks of spring training. Our players all play a lot. And from now until the end of the season, they’re going to be dealing with things that they play through.”

Yost has decided upon his set-up man: Wade Davis.

“He looked dominant last year in that role,” Yost said.

Davis floundered as a starter in 2013, but possesses the ability to overwhelm hitters in short bursts. As a full-time reliever with Tampa Bay in 2012, Davis struck out 11.1 batters per nine innings and posted a 2.43 ERA.

Earlier in camp, Yost hemmed and hawed with the set-up man position, saying he could rotate among other relievers like Aaron Crow, Kelvin Herrera or Tim Collins. But now Davis has been tabbed as the last link in the bridge to All-Star closer Greg Holland.

The Royals sold the contract of left-hander Everett Teaford to the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization. Teaford, 29, did not earn a spot on the Royals roster out of big-league camp. He was bound for Class AAA Omaha, where he made 31 appearances with a 3.49 ERA in 2013.

To reach Andy McCullough, call 826-234-4370 or send email to

rmccullough@kcstar.com

This story was originally published March 30, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Infante works out with Royals."