Hey look, it's Angel Berroa! Remember me?

[browntown653]

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals added some infield depth and promoted a familiar face Sunday. Kansas City recalled shortstop Angel Berroa from Triple-A Omaha and placed Ross Gload (strained quadriceps) on the disabled list.
Berroa, the 2003 American League Rookie of the Year, will see time at multiple infield positions, including shortstop and third base. He was supposed to be the starting shortstop, but was demoted to the Minors on March 24 after hitting .263 with 14 strikeouts and no walks in 38 at-bats during Spring Training.

Berroa will backup Tony Pena at shortstop and Alex Gordon at third. With Ryan Shealy (hamstring) and Gload on the disabled list, Mike Sweeney and Gordon become the primary first baseman. Bell recently said Billy Butler could also see some time at first base.

The move could also help resurrect Berroa's career, a career that has gone downhill after a 2003 season that yielded a .287 average with 17 homers and 73 RBI. Since then, Berroa's average, on-base percentage and slugging average have fallen every year, bottoming out at .234/259/333 in 2006. The on-base and slugging percentages ranked as the worst in baseball among players who qualified for the batting title.

Berroa worked out in Kansas City in the offseason to improve his hitting and range in the field, but struggled throughout the spring. Bell still wanted Berroa to be in the Opening Day lineup on March 15, saying "We expect him to be our shortstop," but little consistency forced the trade for Pena. Bell said he wished Berroa would improve, improvement that came with a promotion after six weeks with Omaha.

"If he's doing great, we're going to see him with us or with somebody else. If he is doing well, I'd have no problem at all putting him in the lineup again," Bell said on March 24.

Berroa was hitting .303 with a .336 on-base percentage and a .369 slugging average with four walks and 17 strikeouts for Triple-A Omaha before the call-up.

Gload, the team's primary first baseman against right-handed batters after Shealy hurt his hamstring, also tweaked his quadriceps earlier this season and hurt it again Sunday. Gload was batting .284 and was tied with Mike Sweeney for the team lead in RBI (17).

After winning 11-1 over the White Sox on Sunday afternoon, the Royals begin a four-game trip against the Athletics on Monday night in Oakland.

What the hell happened to this guy?...not great numbers at AAA either with only a .705 OPS.

[love_that_reefer]

Hitting .303 is the main thing for a guy like Berroa. He's not a power hitter but a guy who uses his speed. This teams needs guys to put the ball in play.

[Killah Sith]

Too bad he swings at too many bad pitches. I don't mind Berroa being on the team. He is a hard worker despite his faults and he always took more blame from fans than he deserved for the Royals struggles. He should be a good backup player.