Major League Baseball

Royals right-hander Hochevar: 'This is the place I wanted to be'

Published Dec. 5, 2014 3:19 p.m. ET

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The real reason right-hander Luke Hochevar re-signed with the Royals this week?

"I didn't want to miss out on any fun next season," Hochevar said Friday in a conference call.

Hochevar, who signed a two-year deal worth $10 million, said it was difficult watching the Royals' amazing playoff run without being able to contribute. Hochevar had Tommy John surgery last March.

"It was tough," he said. "But let me put it this way: I'd rather experience something like that hurt than never experiencing it healthy.

"But it was pretty tough. It's hard to sit there and watch it and not say, 'I wish I had the ball.'"

Hochevar likely won't have that problem next season. He began his flat-ground throwing program in September and he'll eventually return to throwing off the mound later this month into early January. He already has been throwing changeups off flat ground.

"After that (throwing off the mound), we'll see how I feel and whether I need to take a week off then," he said. "But I'm in constant contact with the trainers and we feel good about the progress.

"And actually, I feel better now than I did before the surgery."

Hochevar's role is yet to be determined, though he almost surely will return to his 2013 role of late-inning work. Just how he will mix in with the Royals' vaunted trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland remains to be seen.

"I do know I'm in a great spot," he said. "You can't complain about this organization. I love the guys I play with and the coaching staff."

Hochevar said he did receive offers from other teams.

"But all along I knew this was going to be my destination," he said. "This is the place I wanted to be."

You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.

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