KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -The offensively weak Kansas City Royals sent DH/first baseman Billy Butler to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday, hoping to kick-start a feeble attack that had contributed to their 10-game losing streak.
Coming up from Omaha was infielder Mike Aviles, a 27-year-old non-roster invitee who was hitting .338 through 50 games. Aviles got the start at shortstop against Minnesota on Thursday night, replacing slumping Tony Pena Jr.
The Royals also put right-hander Leo Nunez on the 15-day diabled list with a strained muscle in his right side and called up left-hander Neal Musser, who was 0-4 with six saves and a 3.07 ERA in 19 relief appearances at Omaha.
Many fans had been clamoring for someone to replace Pena, who was hitting .160.
The 22-year-old Butler is one of the Royals’ most promising young hitters.
“In the last month, Billy’s hit .217,” said manager Trey Hillman. “In the last two weeks, he’s hit .233. We all know Billy’s better than that. I thought we’d made some good progress two days ago with his early hitting. He’s not squaring balls up at the same ratio. He’s not taking pitches with the same comfort level and balance at the plate.”
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