KANSAS CITY -- It has been a long wait for Royals right-hander Jesse Hahn.

Hahn, acquired from Oakland in the Brandon Moss trade in January 2018, had not pitched in the Major Leagues since June 28, 2017, when he was with the A’s. That long absence ended Thursday when Hahn took the mound for the first time as a Royal and tossed a scoreless inning in Kansas City’s 6-4 loss to Detroit at Kauffman Stadium.

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Hahn, who has battled elbow injuries the past two seasons and had elbow repair surgery last August, put the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the eighth inning with two strikeouts.

“After the first pitch, it all came back," the 30-year-old said. "I was nervous, butterflies, shakes in the legs a little. But after I threw the first one, it was just compete mode. It just felt good to be out there again.”

Hahn admitted he could hardly sit still in the bullpen.

“Every time the phone rang, I was anxious,” he said.

Hahn’s stuff looked familiar -- a four-seamer that touched 96 mph, a slider with some bite and a changeup that dipped down and in.

“My stuff is getting better every outing,” Hahn said. “It’s coming. Thirteen months out of surgery, I feel good and gaining confidence.”

Royals manager Ned Yost also was pleased for Hahn.

"Jesse definitely threw the ball extremely well,” Yost said. “We still have to protect him and take it easy with him. I was really pleased with what I saw coming out of his hand, good slider, good fastball. After two years, he's got to be extremely pleased."

Meanwhile, Kansas City starter Glenn Sparkman will look back on 2019 with a glaring area to improve upon: Keeping the ball in the yard.

Sparkman has been plagued by the long ball since joining the rotation in May. Thursday was no different as Sparkman surrendered three more home runs -- all in the fourth inning -- that turned a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit.

Overall, Sparkman has given up 27 homers this season, 25 as a starter.

In the fourth inning, Sparkman surrendered an opposite-field home run to Brandon Dixon on a fastball, a blast into the left-field seats on a first-pitch curveball to Dawel Lugo, and a rocket into the left-field bullpen on another fastball to Jordy Mercer.

Sparkman said he knows he has to work on preventing the long ball in 2020.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “I keep giving up these home runs, and I never really gave my team a chance to stay in the game. So it’s tough.”

Sparkman lasted just four innings and gave up four runs on seven hits.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run single by Whit Merrifield and an RBI double by Adalberto Mondesi.

Sparkman said he knows he has to work on preventing the home run ball in 2020.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “I keep giving up these home runs, and I never really gave my team a chance to stay in the game. So it’s tough.”

Sparkman lasted just four innings and gave up seven hits and four runs.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run single by Whit Merrifield and an RBI double by Adalberto Mondesi.

Two players made their Major League debut with Kansas City -- left-hander Gabe Speier and outfielder/infielder Erick Mejia.

Speier pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out two. Mejia went 0-for-3 with a walk.

Speier’s journey has been long as well -- the Royals are his fourth organization.

“I got to embrace it all,” he said. “I was definitely nervous. The most nervous I’ve ever been. But I still felt in control. Making it here, I feel like my hard work has paid off finally. Finally.”