Surprise, Ariz. ? After seven years of struggles in the minor leagues, Shawn Camp was finally named to a major-league roster by the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals also chose Dennys Reyes and Nate Field to round out their bullpen as the team made its final roster decisions. The Royals opened camp with 34 pitchers and will start the season with an 11-man staff.

Camp’s selection was the biggest surprise. The 28-year-old right-hander has pitched seven years in the minors. He was a combined 0-3 with a 4.73 earned run average in 51 appearances last season with Class AAA Nashville and AA Altoona in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system.

The Royals signed him as a minor-league free agent.

“I came in as a big underdog,” Camp said Thursday. “I was shellshocked. It was an unbelievable feeling. I called everybody I knew.”

Camp was impressive from the beginning of spring training, going 2-0 with a save and a 2.38 ERA in eight appearances. He allowed eight hits in 111/3 innings.

An improved slider to supplement an excellent sinker helped Camp make the team.

“I said we can’t let the job Camp did go by,” K.C. manager Tony Pena said. “This kid threw the ball so well on a consistent basis. He has good movement on his fastball. At the beginning of spring training, he had a flat slider, but he worked with (pitching coach John) Cumberland, and it became real sharp.”

Oakland catcher Damian Miller, right, eyes Kansas City pinch runner Chad Santos in the third inning. Santos was safe after Miller lost the ball during the Royals' 8-7 win Thursday in Surprise, Ariz.

Reyes, a 27-year-old left-hander, signed a minor-league contract in October with the Royals, his fifth major-league team since 2002. He had a combined 10.66 ERA in 15 relief appearances last season with Pittsburgh and Arizona.

“I had to prove I could still pitch in the big leagues,” Reyes said.

He did, by allowing just three hits and no runs during eight innings in his three appearances entering a Thursday start. He is the only left-hander in the bullpen and could be used as a spot starter.

Field, a 28-year-old right-hander, was not drafted out of Fort Hays State and was discovered by the Royals while playing in the Northern League in 2000. In 19 games with Kansas City last season, Field went 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA, and was sent down to the minors four different times. This is his first time on an opening-day roster.

“They called in the three of us at once and gave us the good news,” Field said. “It was a ton of pressure off your shoulders. I was confident coming into spring training. I had a good spring, but so did a lot of other guys.”

In spring action Thursday, Reyes allowed three runs in three innings to help the Royals beat an Oakland split squad, 8-7.