KANSAS CITY -- After all the injuries and all the setbacks and all the disappointments, Royals right-hander Kyle Zimmer has finally reached his childhood dream: pitching in the Major Leagues.

Zimmer, the Royals' first-round Draft pick in 2012, came into the eighth inning of the Royals' 6-3 loss to the White Sox on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium and pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two.

"I honestly was just trying to throw strikes," Zimmer said. "The last thing you want to do is start walking guys and spraying the ball everywhere. I just wanted to stay in control of my emotions."

But the emotions were there, Zimmer said, as they should have been. The road here for Zimmer has been well-documented, from all the expectations of a first-round pick to multiple surgeries, thinking about retiring, and then finally completing six months last year at the revolutionary Driveline Baseball program in Washington.

Zimmer, 27, was perhaps a long shot to make the Opening Day roster at the start of Spring Training but he had a superb camp and made the team earlier this week.

For the first two games of the regular season, Zimmer's heart raced a bit each time he heard the bullpen phone ring. On Sunday when it rang before the eighth inning, he knew it was his time.

"I thought so," he said. "It seemed like a good situation for me to get in the first time. I tried to stay prepared every time the phone rang these first three games.

"I was a little bit nervous. I was trying to stay as calm as possible, trying to physically take it down a notch. You know the adrenaline is going and I was trying to keep my breathing down.

"I actually wasn't too nervous when I got out there. I just tried to get locked in and just see [catcher Martin Maldonado] and throw strikes."

Zimmer’s first batter was Daniel Palka. Zimmer struck him out on a 95-mph fastball.

"That's what you’re looking for," Zimmer said. "That was great."

And Zimmer’s debut was just in time. His mom, dad, grandmother, aunt and girlfriend were in town hoping to see his debut.

"They're actually leaving tonight," Zimmer said. "It was special having them here."

The moment hasn’t truly sunk in.

"Sitting in the dugout I took sort of a second to soak it in," Zimmer said. "But maybe later in the year I can soak it in better.

"I'm just so grateful to the Royals and all the people who believed in me for seven years. It’s a dream come true."

Zimmer's teammates took notice of the moment, too.

"For him to go through all the ups and downs and the injuries," Alex Gordon said, "and then to get on the biggest stage, it's rewarding for him and for all the guys who have fought through similar things."

Zimmer wasn't the only one who made his MLB debut. Right-hander Chris Ellis, a Rule 5 Draft pick who made the team out of camp, tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

"I don't know how to describe it," Ellis said. "It helped having Zim going out there and doing it before me. It's been a long road for me. There are times you don't think it will ever happen."

Royals manager Ned Yost said he didn’t have any special words for either Zimmer or Ellis.

"I just told them 'Great job,'" Yost said. "I didn't get really sentimental with him. I just let them enjoy the moment. They've worked their whole lives for this. It might not seem like a big deal but it is. It's your first big league inning, your first big league strikeout. There's a lot of hard work and doubts and wondering if you're ever going to make it."