Royals option 4 to Triple-A Omaha amid flurry of moves

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals optioned pitchers Scott Blewett and Ronald Bolanos, outfielder Edwards Olivares and catcher Meibrys Viloria to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday night as they began to pare down their roster for opening day.

Blewett and Bolanos were both competing for a spot in the crowded Kansas City bullpen after pitching in two games apiece last season. Olivares appeared in 18 games and Viloria in 15 games as backups last season.

The Royals also assigned several players to their minor league camp. Among them were right-hander Jonathan Bowlan, their second-round pick in the 2018 draft; Alec Marsh, their second-round pick in the 2019 draft; and right-hander Asa Lacy, the fourth overall pick in last year's draft and considered one of the top prospects in the Kansas City system.

The moves leave the Royals with 46 players in big league camp, including 14 non-roster invitees.

___

More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB