Texas' Sammy Sosa points skyward as he crosses home plate after hitting a home run off Kansas City's Octavio Dotel. Sosa's homer Thursday in Surprise, Ariz., was the slugger's fifth of the spring, but the Rangers nonetheless lost to the Royals, 7-5.

Surprise, Ariz. ? The Texas Rangers may have some tough roster decisions to make before opening day. Sammy Sosa isn’t one of them.

Returning after missing four games with a stomach virus, Sosa hit his fifth homer of the spring in the Rangers’ 7-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals in their final Cactus League game Thursday.

After being out of the majors last season, Sosa hit .404 with 15 RBIs in 16 games in Arizona after the 1998 NL MVP and seven-time All-Star came to camp with his original team on a minor-league contract.

Rangers manager Ron Washington plans to use Sosa primarily as a designated hitter with a few games in right field. Where will he be for the season opener Monday night at the Los Angeles Angels?

“I’ll be happy wherever the skipper wants me to play,” said Sosa, who is fifth on the career home-run list with 588. “I feel good, strong, and I am ready to go.”

Washington was noncommittal on plans for Sosa, but said that the 38-year-old slugger – who will have a base salary of about $600,000 this season – had a good comeback day.

“He’s still seeing the ball well,” Washington said. “He looked strong. That was a pretty good day. He hit the ball sharply in the second, turned around a 96 mph fastball for a home run and worked the pitcher well for a walk.”

Sosa’s homer gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead in the sixth. But Royals used an error, a walk and Mark Teahen’s three-run home run to regain the lead in the eighth off Ezequiel Astacio, who was claimed off waivers from Houston earlier this week. It was Teahen’s fourth homer.

Mark Grudzielanek, who had knee surgery March 5, went 1-for-3 in his second straight game. He plans to be in the lineup for Monday’s opener against Boston.

Royals starter Odalis Perez left after three innings because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Perez said he won’t miss a start, but manager Buddy Bell wasn’t as certain

“I don’t know what his status is for the second game of the year,” Bell said “We don’t want him to have to deal with this every other game.”

Non-roster invitee Matt Kata doubled and tripled for the Rangers, and may have won a utility role this spring, when he hit .396. Minor leaguer Casey Benjamin hit a two-run homer for Texas.

Notes: The Royals gave 13-year veteran Alex Gonzalez his release after he hit .444. Gonzalez came to camp on a minor-league contract trying to win a utility role, but became expendable with Grudzielanek back. … Texas broke camp in Arizona still with 35 players on the roster, including 18 pitchers. Washington doesn’t plan to make the final cuts until Sunday’s deadline.