Kansas City, Mo. ? Zack Greinke, who gave up three two-run homers in one inning Sunday in a loss to Detroit, has been dropped from the Kansas City Royals’ rotation and will work out of the bullpen.

Greinke, who left the club in spring training 2005 and received treatment for social anxiety, is 1-4 with a 5.71 ERA in seven starts. Opponents are hitting .338 against him.

“I just hope he can regain some confidence,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said Tuesday. “He’s hard to read. He’s pitched away from contact at times and pitched behind in the count. Sometimes, I can tell he’s just not as comfortable as he needs to be. That is basically why we’re doing it.”

Greinke was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 draft and he made his major league debut in 2004 at age 20. He led the American League with 17 losses in 2005.

“I personally feel like he’s going to end up starting at some point,” Bell said. “Whether that’s this year, next year or whenever, I don’t know that. I think he’s got too much ability, too many pitches that he can throw for strikes for him not to be in the rotation.”