Today was the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft, and the Royals added outfielder Khalil Lee, catcher Sebastian Rivero, and left-handed pitchers Daniel Tillo and Angel Zerpa to the roster. To make room for them, the Royals designated pitchers Glenn Sparkman and Gabe Speier for assignment, and outrighted pitcher Chance Adams to Triple-A.
Lee is one of the top hitting prospects in the organization, hitting .264/.363/.372 with eight home runs in Double-A last year, and finishing second in all of the minors with 53 steals. The 22-year old has a good power/speed combo with a patient approach to the plate.