SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Royals depart Arizona in less than two weeks and the club could use every bit of that time to finalize the remaining spots in the bullpen.

For now, the bullpen is on track to feature Ian Kennedy, Tim Hill, Scott Barlow, Jorge López, Glenn Sparkman, Greg Holland, Trevor Rosenthal, Josh Staumont and possibly Randy Rosario. Jesse Hahn, Jake Newberry, Kevin McCarthy, Kyle Zimmer, and Tyler Zuber are all competing for one of the few remaining spots.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement. I’ve seen some guys make some huge steps and it makes this very interesting,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “We are going through all of the hypotheticals, and the fortunate thing is that we don’t have to make the decision quite yet. We’ll let them keep competing. We have certainly had some guys open our eyes.”

On Monday against the D-backs, Holland, Rosenthal and Staumont each pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the 4-4 tie at Salt River Fields. Rosario retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth, and came within one strike of his fourth Cactus League save before giving up a solo home run to Trayce Thompson. He walked the next batter, Mike Ahmed, on four pitches and then picked him off first base to end the game.

Performances during Spring Training are only part of the evaluation process, Matheny said. The first-year Royals manager also seeks input from his scouts, the team’s special assistants and other club officials who might know the pitchers competing for a spot. He’s also careful not to let his relievers’ histories on the mound dictate their future with organization.

“When it comes down to, what we see when we put them out between the lines, is that something they can maintain?” Matheny said. “What do we see and what do we know about him that says, 'this isn’t just a flash in the pan,' or whether this is a lull, and we know the guy is better than this. It’s a balance.”

Last season, the Royals’ bullpen ranked 27th in baseball with a 5.07 ERA and tied for the third-most losses with 33, so finding the right mix of relievers is one of club’s priorities right now.

Zuber change for the better
Tyler Zuber is in the mix for one of the available spots in the bullpen and it’s his changeup that could be the key to him earning a big league roster spot one day in the future.

Zuber, 24, who was drafted by the Royals in the sixth round in 2017 and spent last season at Class A Advanced Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas, has been primarily a fastball, slider and curveball pitcher. When he showed up to camp with a changeup, it made Zuber an intriguing option, especially with the new three-batter minimum rule that requires pitchers to face at least three batters, or else pitch to the conclusion of a half-inning before being removed from the game.

“When we need a reliever to get past a right, left, right in a big situation, being able to go to that changeup is a big deal,” Matheny said. “It’s plus-pitch and it’s amazing he’s been able to have so much success without needing it. I think that’s going to be another weapon for him.”

Zuber struck out three in 1 2/3 innings Sunday against the White Sox. So far, he’s allowed one run on three hits in six Cactus League innings. He’s struck out eight and walked one in five appearances.

“I think he’s had a fantastic spring and he’s done everything we have asked him,” Matheny said. “I had no idea his changeup was as good as it was, which makes him valuable.”

Worth Noting
• Mike Montgomery was charged with two runs on four hits in four innings against the D-backs in his third Cactus League start.

The lefty held Arizona scoreless for three innings before giving up a two-run home run to Kole Calhoun in the fourth. He struck out four.

“I threw the ball well and I’m making the right steps forward,” Montgomery said. “It’s exciting to see the progress and I feel like I’m in a good spot.”

Montgomery threw 29 fastballs and 12 curveballs in the 55-pitch outing. He’s also tinkering with his slider.

“It’s a variation of what I was throwing last year and it’s still a work in progress,” Montgomery said. “I can tweak it back if I need to. I wanted to have more of a slider-type of pitch, with more horizontal movement. To me, it fits my mix pretty well.”

• Left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic was reassigned to Minor League camp.

Up Next
The Royals have a split-squad scheduled for Tuesday. Brad Keller is scheduled to pitch against the Brewers at Surprise Stadium. Jorge Lopez will travel to Mesa to take on Oakland. Both games are scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT.