Tejeda has also added a sidearm delivery to his repertoire.

"He started that in September just to give them another look and also another pitch for him to feel confident to work in the zone," Royals catcher John Buck said. "I think he feels comfortable if something is moving. It helps him to be a little more aggressive with the strike zone and add a little funk to it. It is hard to pick up."

After Tejeda walked Hank Blalock and gave up a run-producing double to Marlon Byrd in the fourth, he struck out the next three hitters, all on called third strikes.

"He hit a lot of pitches right on the black in that series and he located that backdoor slider or cutter, whatever he wants to call it," Buck said. "When you got somebody throwing that hard with four pitches for strikes and able to locate on the black like that with two different arm angles, it doesn't make it real easy to hit."

Tejeda has allowed two runs and eight hits in 10 1/3 innings for a 1.74 ERA through four outings while walking nine and striking out 14.

"A huge part of it was him getting ahead," Buck said. "That's his history."

Manager Trey Hillman is stretching out Tejeda in spring training to be a possible starter if needed. He has made 47 starts in the majors, including a spot start for the Royals last September, when he allowed one run and two hits in five innings at Cleveland in the second game of a doubleheader.