Royals add Hanser Alberto to 40-man roster

Utility player Hanser Alberto will be part of the Kansas City Royals‘ Opening Day roster after being added to the club’s 40-man reserve list on Monday.

Alberto, 28, joined the Royals as a non-roster invitee in February after spending the previous two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. The five-year major league veteran has experience at every position except catcher, pitcher and center field and is expected to serve as Kansas City’s primary backup at second base, third base and shortstop. He should be a particularly intriguing option against left-handed pitchers, as he a .350 career batting average against left-handed pitchers. And he did everything in his power to win a roster spot during spring training, hitting .355 with an .831 OPS in 15 Cactus League games.

The Royals’ 40-man roster is now full, though left-hander Daniel Tillo is recovering from Tommy John surgery and could be moved to the 60-day injured list if the Royals need to open up a spot.