Surprise, Ariz. ? Kansas City Royals right-hander Miguel Asencio will have elbow ligament transplant surgery and miss the season.

Asencio had elbow surgery last June to remove a bone chip, but had some pain during spring training. An MRI earlier this week detected a tear.

“It is not a complete tear, but a big enough tear where we need to have it taken care of now,” general manager Allard Baird said.

Asencio, who was a candidate for the Royals’ rotation this year, has a 6-8 record with a 5.14 ERA in 39 major league games. Kansas City acquired him as a Rule 5 draft pick in 2001.

Asencio is the second Royals pitcher who will miss the season because of surgery. Right-hander Kyle Snyder had surgery on Feb. 25 to repair a labrum tear.

• Brown sent to Omaha: Kansas City outfielder Dee Brown cleared waivers Thursday and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha.

Brown, who turns 26 on Saturday, has a .229 batting average with 10 home runs and 65 RBIs in 204 Major League games. He was the Royals’ 1996 first-round pick.

“I still feel he has the physical attributes to hit,” general manager Allard Baird said. “He needs to turn those attributes into performance.”

Brown hit .182 with one home run, a grand slam, in 33 spring at-bats.

Etc: Veteran catcher Benito Santiago, who had been out since March 12 with a sore Achilles tendon, returned to the lineup Thursday. … Lefty Chris George, who is trying to earn a spot in the rotation spot, will start today against the Brewers.