Royals add right-hander Dillon Gee to 40-man roster, place Mike Minor on 60-day disabled list

The Royals added right-handed pitcher Dillon Gee to the 40-man roster on Tuesday, a procedural move to retain a possible bullpen piece as the club approaches opening day.

Gee, 29, had a minor-league contract that included a March 15 opt-out clause. Gee exercised the opt-out, and the Royals responded by adding him to the 40-man roster. In a corresponding roster move, the Royals placed left-handed pitcher Mike Minor to the 60-day disabled list.

The Royals signed Minor to a two-year, $7.25 million contract Feb. 19. He is recovering from surgery on his left labrum and is expected to miss the first two months of the season.

Gee, a former starter with the New York Mets, is a leading candidate to land one of the Royals’ final bullpen spots. He has allowed one earned run in five innings over two appearances. He has struck out three and walked two.

Gee spent his first six seasons with the Mets, recording 4.03 ERA in 114 appearances. He made 105 starts from 2011 to 2015. He was designated for assignment last June, after losing his spot in the starting rotation. He finished his season at Class AAA Las Vegas.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Royals add right-hander Dillon Gee to 40-man roster, place Mike Minor on 60-day disabled list."