Hosmer says hand is almost fully healed

KANSAS CITY -- Eric Hosmer returned to the Royals' lineup Tuesday and drove in the team's only run in a 2-1 loss to the Twins.

Hosmer's last at bat came on July 23, as a bruised right hand kept him out of the lineup for four games.

"It felt really good to get back in the lineup and get into some action," Hosmer said. "[The hand] felt good, nothing was sore, no pain or anything like that."

In the ninth inning, with Kansas City trailing 2-0, Hosmer flared a single into left field off Minnesota closer Glen Perkins that scored Omar Infante. He finished the game 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts from the three-hole.

"When you don't play a couple of games, it seems like a while since you got [a hit]," Hosmer said. "It was definitely a good at bat. When you face tough lefties like that and guys that throw as hard as Perkins does, you put a good swing on a guy like that, that can get you really locked in."

The injury originally occurred in a July 20 loss to the Red Sox. Hosmer said he's close to 100 percent healed.

"It's closer and closer every day, I think it's just a matter of getting back into the every day action, the full swing of things and I think that will come when you play two, three games," Hosmer said.