Broxton makes first appearance for Royals

Jonathan Broxton, who missed most of last season and had elbow surgery in September, made his first appearance for the Royals in a Sunday morning "B" game in Surprise. He wasn't overly sharp, but his fastball was clocked at 92-94 mph.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Royals were excited to see Jonathan Broxton return to the mound in a Sunday morning "B" game against the Rangers.

It was the first game action for Broxton since last June, when he made two appearances for the Dodgers' Triple-A Albuquerque team while trying to come back from an elbow injury that eventually required surgery in September.

Broxton wasn't overly sharp, but his fastball was clocked at 92-94 mph and all signs are that he's healthy.

The Royals signed Broxton to a one-year, $4 million major-league contract, hoping that the one-time Dodger closer can serve as the main setup man for closer Joakim Soria.

Broxton, who was an All-Star in 2009 and 2010, made just 14 appearances for the Dodgers last year, none after May 3. Broxton had surgery on Sept. 19 to remove bone chips from the elbow.