Royals Outright Luke Little

The Kansas City Royals have assigned left-handed pitcher Luke Little outright to Triple-A Omaha, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. Kansas City had designated the reliever for assignment on Monday without making a formal public announcement. The Royals originally claimed Little off waivers from the Chicago Cubs in early August, but he struggled heavily with Omaha, allowing 19 earned runs and walking 12 batters across 11 1/3 innings.

Because Little has spent parts of seven seasons in the minor leagues, this outright assignment grants him the right to elect minor league free agency this offseason. The roster transaction creates necessary flexibility for Kansas City, whose 40-man roster was at capacity ahead of impending free agency and required reinstatements from the 60-day injured list.