Royster's pitching patience runs out

      Since the season started, Stars manager Jerry Royster has defended his struggling starting pitchers, saying he knew it would take time for most of them to find a groove.
      All the while, Royster insisted he was confident his staff eventually would get better.
      Well, a month into the season, everyone was still waiting for the turnaround. It never occurred, so Royster and the parent San Diego Padres have decided to shake things up.
      Before the Stars' 1-0 victory over the Salt Lake Buzz on Tuesday at Cashman Field, Royster informed veteran right-handers Chris Hook and Marshall Boze they were being sent to the bullpen. A third starter, right-handed prospect Brad Kaufman, was demoted to Double-A Mobile.
      Hook, Boze and Kaufman were in the Stars' rotation since the season began and each made six starts. Except for an occasional decent outing, each pitcher struggled mightily, as evidenced by their numbers: The three are a combined 0-14 with a cumulative 8.02 ERA.
      "We needed to shake things up. The starting pitching just wasn't working," Royster said. "(This) will give the two guys (Hook and Boze) who are going to miss some starts a chance to pitch out of the bullpen and try to get it together. And Kaufman's going to go down and make his start on Friday. He's a major-league prospect, and you don't want this guy to sit around and get off to an 0-8 start and throw away a whole year."
      To make room for Hook and Boze in the bullpen, Royster said Jim Bruske, who made his third straight start Tuesday after nine relief appearances, will remain a starter. Royster also said Marino Castillo will move from the bullpen to the starting rotation.
      The final starting spot will be filled by right-hander Kerry Taylor, who has been promoted from Mobile to take Kaufman's slot. Taylor, who appeared in eight games with the Stars in 1995 before missing all of last season because of an injury, was 2-1 with a 4.85 ERA at Double-A.
      Beginning with the Stars' game Thursday at Albuquerque, Royster said his five-man rotation will be as follows: left-hander Heath Murray (1-2, 7.16), Taylor, right-hander Pete Smith (3-1, 4.39), Bruske, and Castillo (0-0, 4.22).
      -- KROON RETURNS -- In another move Tuesday, the Padres sent reliever Marc Kroon back to Las Vegas to make room for center fielder Steve Finley, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list.
      Kroon, who had four saves for the Stars before being called up on April 28, pitched just 1/3 of an inning in San Diego. In his second career major-league stint, the right-hander made two appearances, surrendering two earned runs, four hits and a walk. He had one strikeout and an ERA of 54.00.
      To make room for Kroon on the Stars' roster, left-hander Jim Baron was sent to Mobile.
      -- NOT SO BIG-LEAGUE -- Kroon isn't the only player recently promoted from Las Vegas who has found life in the big leagues taxing.
      Entering San Diego's home game Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs, three other ex-Stars were laboring: First baseman Derrek Lee is batting .167 (3-for-18) with three runs scored in six games; outfielder Phil Plantier is batting .143 (1-for-7) in eight games with two walks and two strikeouts; and left-handed reliever Joey Long has allowed five runs (all earned), five hits and five walks in three appearances spanning 2 2/3 innings. Long's ERA is 16.88.
      Another recent call-up, infielder Terry Shumpert, has appeared in one game as a defensive replacement and has not batted.
      -- PADRES ON THE MEND -- Some or all of the aforementioed players could soon return to Las Vegas as several Padres are finally getting healthy.
      Wally Joyner (ankle sprain) is improving so quickly that Royster said the first baseman probably won't join the Stars on a rehab assignment, as previously anticipated. Joyner should come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Tuesday, and infielder Scott Livingstone (elbow) should be activated a day later.
      Pitchers Joey Hamilton (shoulder) and Dario Veras (groin) are improving and might join the Stars in Albuquerque this weekend.