Surprise, Ariz. ? The Kansas City Royals removed infielder Jarrod Patterson from their 40-man big league roster Thursday, outrighting him to Class AAA Omaha after he cleared waivers.

Patterson, a 30-year-old left-handed hitter, hit .182 in 13 games with the Royals last season. He spent most of the season with Omaha, where he hit .257 with 18 home runs and 91 RBIs in 123 games.

Patterson also played briefly in 2001 with the Detroit Tigers, hitting .268 in 13 games.

The Royals have 43 active players in camp, including 11 nonroster invites.