KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Royals claimed
29-year-old infielder Jason Smith off waivers from the Arizona
Diamondbacks today.
Smith is expected to join the Royals when they return from the
All-Star break with a game in Cleveland on Friday.
He has appeared in 195 games, with a .228 career average. The
Diamondbacks claimed him from the Blue Jays on May 16th, but he
played in only two games before a burst appendix put him on the
disabled list.
To make room on the roster, the Royals designated infielder
Fernando Cortez for assignment.
The Royals also promoted right-hander Luke Hochevar
(HOH'-chay-vur) from Double-A Wichita to Triple-A Omaha. Hochevar
was the Number One overall pick in the 2006 draft.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)