--SS Mike Aviles is enjoying a strong spring. He improved his Cactus League average to .333 on March 24 with a grand slam and a single against Oakland.

--LHP Jimmy Gobble, who had been the longest tenured Royal, was given his unconditional release. Gobble, a 1999 sandwich-round pick, was 0-2 with an 8.81 ERA in 39 relief appearances last season.

--1B Kila Ka'aihue, who hit 38 home runs last year, including one at Kansas City on Sept. 20, was optioned to Class AAA Omaha on March 20. Ka'aihue batted .235 with four hits, all singles, in 17 at-bats in spring training but was caught behind a first base logjam of Mike Jacobs, Billy Butler, Ryan Shealy and Ross Gload.

--RHP Devon Lowery, who made his major league debut last year when he was a September call-up, was optioned to Class AAA Omaha on March 20. In five exhibition games, he was 1-0 with a save and a 0.00 ERA, allowing one hit in 4 2/3 innings.

--RHP Anthony Lerew, a one-time Braves prospect who was signed originally by Royals farm director J.J. Picollo, agreed to a minor league contract with the Royals and invited to big league camp. Lerew was set back by Tommy John surgery in 2007.

--RHP Julio Pimentel, the Royals' representative in the Futures Game last July at Yankee Stadium, is out for at least six weeks because of an elbow injury. After getting a second opinion, he has decided to rehab the elbow without surgery.

BY THE NUMBERS: 4 -- Home runs Mark Teahen hit in a span of 10 at-bats, all against left-handers.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It is in the past. Everybody keeps going in the past. You do one bad thing and everybody remembers it. You do 10 good things and nobody remembers it. I'm used to dealing with this. Like I said, it's in the past. I don't like to talk about it. It is well publicized. It's been everywhere. I have nothing to hide." -- RHP Sidney Ponson on his controversial off-the-field antics, including two charges of driving under the influence and assaulting an Aruban judge.