Surprise, Ariz. ? Reggie Sanders always has been in the opening-day lineup and an everyday player when he is healthy.

But he will not be introduced with the starters on Monday, when the Kansas City Royals host the Boston Red Sox to start the season.

“It will be strange,” Sanders said Thursday. “I don’t know how strange.”

The Royals’ outfield will have Mark Teahen in right field, David DeJesus in center and Ross Gload in left. Emil Brown will platoon with Gload, leaving Sanders as the fifth outfielder.

“We’ll try to get Reggie some at bats,” manager Buddy Bell said. “He’ll be an extra outfielder and he could DH at times.”

While the new role is unusual, Sanders took it in stride.

“Things always work themselves out,” he said. “I’m not too stressed about it.”

Sanders is one of six players in major league history to have 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases. He in the final season of a two-year $10 million contract with the Royals, who are undergoing a youth movement.

Sanders, 39, is the oldest player on the team.

“They have an idea what they want to do,” Sanders said. “That’s their decision. I’m a big boy and I can take care of myself.”

Sanders began last season as the Royals’ cleanup hitter and right fielder, but was limited to 88 games because of surgery on Aug. 31 to remove a cyst under the bottom of his left kneecap. He hit .246 with 11 home runs, 23 doubles and 49 RBIs.

He still considers himself an everyday player.

“That’s all I know,” he said.

This season, though, he could be sitting for three or four days between starts or used as a late-inning pinch hitter.

“That’s all going to be new,” he said. “We’ll see where that falls.”

Sanders did not pay much attention to reports the Royals tried to trade him in spring training.

“I’ve been around for a long time, so that’s why I don’t get caught up in that,” said Sanders, who has been traded twice in his 16-year career.

“Those trades were in December, not in spring training or during the season,” he said.

Would Sanders welcome a trade if he could start?

“It has to be right for me and my family, basically,” Sanders said. “It has to be a right place, right city, right circumstances.”

Notes: The Royals optioned outfielder Joey Gathright to Triple-A Omaha. Gathright hit .370 with five stolen bases in 21 spring training games.