DETROIT -- Veteran right-hander Clay Buchholz was promoted from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday, and then went out and threw 6 1/3 strong innings in his debut with Omaha against Nashville on Sunday.
Buchholz earned the win, giving up five hits and one run while walking one and striking out three. He threw 84 pitches, 54 for strikes.
Buchholz, 33, signed as a non-roster free agent in March, threw 4 2/3 shutout innings in his only start for Northwest Arkansas earlier in the week.
Buchholz could be an option for the Royals to start one of the games of a doubleheader Saturday against the White Sox. He has a May 1 opt-out date.
The Royals would have to clear space on the 40-man roster to make room for Buchholz, who has impressed Royals officials after missing almost all of 2017 because of forearm surgery.
Gallagher remembers Manaea
Royals catcher Cam Gallagher was watching television in his hotel room Saturday night when he began getting alerts on his cell phone that his former batterymate, former Royals farmhand Sean Manaea, was pitching a no-hitter for Oakland.
Gallagher, who caught Manaea at Class A Advanced Wilmington in 2014-15, immediately switched channels to watch Manaea finish the no-hitter against Boston.
"I was watching and I was like, 'No way,'" Gallagher said. "I could feel his nerves going through him right there, definitely something I've never experienced, but I was feeling for him. I was glad that he ended up getting it done.
"I was nervous just watching for him, so I don't imagine what he was feeling. But really happy for him. It was awesome.
"Back in A-ball, he would throw fastballs up in the zone right by guys, and they would swing underneath it. He's one of those guys you talk about. His delivery is so slow, but once it comes out of his hand it's on you right there. It gets on you quick. It was definitely overpowering in A-ball. It was really good."
Royals celebrate Earth Day
As the country celebrated Earth Day on Sunday, the Royals, too, have become very environmentally conscious.
The Royals just installed LED Field Lighting at Kauffman Stadium -- LED lighting is energy efficient and will have a life span of 30 years.
The Royals also recycled 15.49 tons of glass last season, almost doubling their 2016 total. And they are one of nine teams that utilize solar power at Kauffman Stadium.