SURPRISE, Ariz. -- With a little over two weeks to go to Opening Day, the Royals' bullpen is starting to take shape.

The Royals optioned John McMillon on Tuesday afternoon in a move that was significant but not surprising based on what has been observed in camp over the past month. The team thinks very highly of McMillon, the Royals’ No. 18 prospect, and believe he can be key to their future success.

But first he has to get back to what he showed last year, when he ascended three levels before skipping Triple-A completely en route to his Major League debut on Aug. 17. McMillon was a lights-out reliever in the Minor Leagues in 2023, striking out 91 batters in 50 1/3 innings in Single-A, High-A and Double-A. He forced his way into Kansas City, where he struck out eight batters in four innings with one run allowed, before being sidelined the rest of the season with a forearm strain.

“Our expectations for him are really high, as they should be based on what we saw him accomplish last year,” manager Matt Quatraro said Wednesday before the Royals’ 3-2 win over the Angels at Surprise Stadium. “We need him to get back to midseason form, ready to go on a regular basis and feel good about bouncing back and being the dominant pitcher he is.”

That forearm strain affected his offseason and slowed him at the start of camp. McMillon progressed to live BP sessions and then game action, logging two Cactus League outings, slower than the rest and struggled with velocity and command -- feeling out of sync with his mechanics -- early on. McMillon has looked much better recently, with his fastball velocity back to 97-99 mph and his stuff landing more in the zone.

He just needs more time.

“He made a lot of progress this spring from where he came in,” Quatraro said. “He was a little slowed in the offseason, and he came in here and the velo wasn’t there. His arm strength wasn’t there. He made some mechanical adjustments with the pitching guys and really came on quite a bit, especially those last two outings. His velo was there, his breaking ball was coming back. I was happy with the progress he made, he just needs to continue that.”

McMillon was in the competition for a spot in the Royals’ Opening Day bullpen, and now the field has been narrowed some. Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Nick Anderson, John Schreiber and James McArthur are all locks for a spot, and Rule 5 Draft pick Matt Sauer is likely.

• 'Change in the culture': McArthur thriving in overhauled 'pen

With Carlos Hernández (shoulder) likely beginning the year on the injured list, that leaves two spots for several pitchers still competing, including Jake Brentz and Josh Taylor; rotation hopefuls Anthony Veneziano, Angel Zerpa, Alec Marsh and Daniel Lynch IV; and non-roster pitchers Luis Cessa and Sam Long.

One of the things missing from that group is a power reliever, which McMillon, Hernandez and Will Klein, who was optioned last week, can all offer Kansas City at some point. That might give Brentz the leg up because he throws in the upper-90s, but he has to do a lot to show he can be in the zone, as he’s walked 11 batters and allowed nine earned runs in 4 1/3 innings this spring.

Lynch IV efficient; Lugo heads to backfields
Instead of his regular Cactus League start, veteran starter Seth Lugo threw 64 pitches across four innings in a Minor League game Wednesday, while Lynch took over Cactus League duties against the Angels. Lynch IV is trying to earn an Opening Day roster spot and needs to show what he can do against Major League hitters in front of the Major League coaching staff.

The 27-year-old tossed four scoreless innings with two hits, one walk and five strikeouts. His secondary stuff was sharp and often resulted in some silly swings.

“I feel like the ball has come out better every time the last few starts,” Lynch IV said. “It’s continuing to grow. Mixed really well. My curveball was great.”

Lynch IV is building up as a starter and could earn the fifth starter spot. But the Royals will need long relief in their bullpen this year, and Lynch IV could be in the mix for that while serving as rotation depth throughout the season.

“The best thing you can do is just worry about going out and pitching,” Lynch IV said. “ … I see myself as a starter, I think my stuff is starter stuff, and I think I can be good as a starter, but at the end of the day, it’s not about me,” Lynch IV said. “It’s about the team and whatever is best for the team.”