SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Kyle Zimmer, the Royals' No. 2 overall prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, threw live batting practice on Friday, a session that drew a large contingent of Royals fans.
Zimmer threw to several of the Royals' regulars, from Salvador Perez to Jarrod Dyson to Alex Gordon.
One of Zimmer's pitches got away and brushed back Perez, who reacted with mock anger.
"He was making fun of me, so I thought I'd get back at him with a floating curveball," Zimmer joked afterward.
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Zimmer, a first-round pick (No. 5 overall) in 2012, is in a good mood these days, healthy and moving forward. Last season was his first full healthy season in the Minors, where he pitched 24 games between Class A and Double-A and posted a 2.39 ERA with 72 strikeouts over 64 innings.
"Everything is feeling good, so I'm excited," Zimmer said.
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Zimmer admits he gets a little more amped up facing big league hitters.
"I think the other day I was [a little more amped] because it was the first day against them," Zimmer said. "But they keep telling us that early on we should control our efforts so we don't blow anything out in February.
"But it was great throwing to those guys because you can pick their brain and see if they notice anything coming out of your hand. It's a great tool to have."
Switch-hitter?
Third baseman Mike Moustakas was a crowd pleaser Friday when he started off his BP session by hitting right-handed.
Moustakas promptly ripped a liner off the wall and then crushed a home run as the crowd howled in approval.
No Esky
Manager Ned Yost said he wasn't sure when shortstop Alcides Escobar would return from Venezuela.
"This [weekend] is all I know," Yost said.
Escobar was in the United States and ready to come to camp earlier this week when he learned of the passing of his uncle.
Coaching help
Yost often has talked about the transition he made two years ago when he stopped trying to make all the baseball decisions himself and instead sought the input of his coaching staff.
"It wasn't a conscious decision," Yost said. "It just came about. I can't pinpoint it, but it was sometime in 2014. It started and grew and grew to the point of where it is today. It's constant communication when the game starts. It's funner that way.
"When you have those kinds of baseball minds, you use them. I don't know why it took me so long to figure that out."