The Royals announced that they designated right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, left-hander Tommy Hottovy and outfielder Jason Bourgeois for assignment. The Royals needed 40-man roster space to claim Guillermo Moscoso and Brett Hayes and reinstate Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino from the 60-day disabled list.
Jeffress spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a 4.97 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 58 innings of relief. Hottovy spent most of the season in the Omaha bullpen with Jeffress. The 31-year-old left-hander posted a 2.52 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 50 innings. Bourgeois appeared in 30 games with Kansas City this past season, posting a .258/.303/.323 batting line in 66 plate appearances.
