Royals rookie right-hander Carlos Hernández, the club’s No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will make his first Major League start on Saturday against the Pirates.

Veteran right-hander Matt Harvey will move to the bullpen, manager Mike Matheny said.

Hernández, 23, has been effective in two relief outings since being called up. He has pitched 6 1/3 innings and given up five hits and one run while walking two and striking out four.

Hernández had not pitched above Class A ball before his promotion this season. He had made 41 starts out of 42 outings in the Minors.

Matheny has indicated he believes Hernández has what it takes to be a starter at this level moving forward.

“His stuff looked so good coming out of the ‘pen,” Matheny said. “He wasn’t overthinking. That’s still what we want him to do now as a starter. Let’s see how he handles this. I’m anxious to see him work in the first [inning].”

Harvey, signed as a non-roster free agent in late July, is 0-3 with an 11.70 ERA. He has made four starts, though his last on Sunday was in an opener role. Harvey allowed one run on two hits in the ninth inning of Thursday's 11-1 win over the Indians.

Intriguing Olivares
The Royals certainly will continue to take a long look at outfielder Edward Olivares, acquired in the trade with the Padres for closer Trevor Rosenthal.

Matheny likes what he sees. Olivares, the team’s No. 22 prospect, went 2-for-5 with a solo homer on Thursday, and he is 12-for-31 with a double, triple and two homers. homers since joining Kansas City. He has shown he is aggressive at the plate and in the field.

“He’s swinging early in the count,” Matheny said, “but he’s not necessarily putting the ball in play right away. He’s been able to work deep into counts.

“You see a couple of swings from him sometimes and you say, ‘Oh, he’s not on it.’ And then you see a hard line drive somewhere. He’s laying off some really tough pitches, too.

“I’m still figuring him out myself. He’s kind of like this wild stallion right now. We have like an Edward list every day in terms of instruction for him. He’s really good at taking whatever we’re giving him in terms of instruction.”

Dozier slider blues
Royals first baseman Hunter Dozier has been struggling much more this season with the slider. He hit sliders at a .274 clip last season, but this year he is batting just .156 against them.

“There are some things in his swing path right now that seem to make him susceptible to the slider,” Matheny said. “He’s working on it. And it will be good for him to get back [to Kansas City] to do more extensive work.”