Reliever Al Alburquerque was sitting at a roulette wheel in Las Vegas when he learned he was returning to the major leagues. He lost, he says, but it still felt like a win.
Alburquerque, a nonroster invitee in spring training and a long shot to make the big-league roster, spent a month in the bullpen at Class AAA Omaha before joining the Royals’ bullpen in Tampa Bay on Wednesday. He logged a scoreless inning in a 6-0 victory on Thursday before returning to Kauffman Stadium with the club on Friday afternoon.
A veteran of six major-league seasons, including five with the Detroit Tigers, Alburquerque made just two appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2016, spending most of the year in Triple-A.