Heasley sent to Triple-A as pitching staff takes shape

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Royals are set to break camp Tuesday afternoon, but they are still whittling the roster down to the final spots, including the pitching staff. The move made before Monday’s 10-6 loss to the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark made the picture slightly clearer.

The Royals optioned right-hander Jon Heasley to Triple-A Omaha, choosing to have him stay on a starting routine instead of appearing out of Kansas City's bullpen to start the season. Heasley, the Royals’ No. 10 prospect, made the jump from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to the Majors last year and made three starts for Kansas City, impressing with his composure.

• Previewing the Royals' Opening Day

The 25-year-old Heasley could be one of the first callups the Royals make when they need pitching depth.

“He hasn’t pitched in Triple-A yet,” Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore said. “We feel like he can be a big part of what we’re doing in the future, but the best way to prepare him for future success is to have him begin the season in Triple-A and to pitch every fifth day instead of pitching out of the bullpen right now.”

The Royals announced their first four starters on Sunday, with Opening Day starter Zack Greinke followed by Brad Keller, Kris Bubic and Carlos Hernández. The fifth starter has yet to be decided, but Brady Singer and Daniel Lynch appear to be the final candidates.

Jackson Kowar is still fighting for a spot, and he appeared out of the bullpen Monday, throwing one scoreless inning with one strikeout, one hit and one walk while flashing 98 mph on the scoreboard radar.

That kind of stuff offers a unique look in the bullpen if the Royals go that way with Kowar.

“Could be,” manager Mike Matheny acknowledged Monday. “He’s got really unique stuff.”

But the Royals aren’t ready to announce certain roles yet.

“We have these guys show up and ask them to compete,” Matheny said. “We give them the respect of letting them do that as long as we can. There are some seasons you don’t necessarily have to wait as long, but at this point, let’s just keep pitching. Just keep playing. It’s not ideal as far as comfortability goes. It’s always nicer to know sooner than later. But we as an organization need to see everything that we can see and try to take every contingency under consideration. That just sometimes takes a little longer.”

Not having Heasley in the bullpen to start the season opens a spot for a reliever out of camp. High-leverage relievers Scott Barlow, Jake Brentz, Josh Staumont and Amir Garrett seem to be locks. Right-hander Taylor Clarke has allowed five hits in six scoreless innings this spring and has shown the ability to go two-plus innings, giving the Royals some length.

• Predicting the Royals' Opening Day roster

Other candidates for the bullpen and still vying for a spot are Joel Payamps (who is out of options), Domingo Tapia, Gabe Speier, Collin Snider and Dylan Coleman.

The Royals will likely carry 15 pitchers on their Opening Day roster. They have 17 remaining in camp.

“Let’s face it, some of the guys that begin the season in certain roles perhaps are going to be in different roles as we go deeper into the season,” Moore said. “Some of the guys that are not a part of the rotation or part of the team as we begin are going to be in impactful positions as the season unfolds. A lot of that has to do with development, but certainly, just the shortened spring.

“I wish we had another two weeks, because I think you would see some players start to separate themselves a little bit. But we don’t have that luxury. We have to go with what we know right now, who we believe is in the best physical shape.”

Royals rumblings
• Towering home runs seemed to be theme during the Royals’ slugfest against the Reds. Cam Gallagher hit his second homer in as many days in the third inning, Bobby Witt Jr. followed with one of his own and Hunter Dozier cleared the batter’s eye in center field in the fourth inning.

“That ball was smashed,” Matheny said. “That was one of the farthest home runs we’ve seen all spring.”

• The Royals announced their broadcast schedule Monday morning, and 161 games will be aired regionally on Bally Sports Kansas City. The one remaining game, April 29 against the Yankees, will be free on Apple TV+. Ryan Lefebvre is returning as the Royals' main play-by-play announcer, with Steve Physioc filling in at times. Rex Hudler will return for his 11th season as the analyst, and Royals Hall of Famer Jeff Montgomery will provide analysis throughout the season on “Royals Live” with host Joel Goldberg.