The Royals have narrowed their choices for the starting rotation by sending righthanded pitcher Luke Hochevar to Triple A Omaha. There are now three right handers vying for two final spots.
Sidney Ponson, pitching today against Oakland, Brian Bannister and left-hander Horacio Ramirez remain in the mix.
In five Cactus League games, Hochevar had a 3.86 ERA and a 1-0 record in five games. He gave up 17 hits and seven runs with four walks and seven strikeouts in 16.1 innings.
Last season, Hochevar made 22 starts for the Royals, going 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA before his season ended on Aug. 20 because of a rib-cage injury. The number one pick of 2006 started last season in Omaha.
There are still 36 players in camp. The breakdown is 18 pitchers, three catchers, 10 infielders and five outfielders.
