"The key moment in Gil Meche's recovery from a year plagued by back and shoulder miseries came in November on a Texas golf course.

It didn't hurt to play.

"In the previous offseason," he said, "I wasn't able to play golf because when I would go to swing, I would notice from the (body) rotation that I would get a little tight the next day.

"I played a round last November. When I realized how good I felt, I started playing every 10 days or two weeks. I never had any problems with it. So I knew what I was doing was definitely benefiting my body.

"When I started throwing, it was the same thing. I didn't feel anything. To this day, I haven't felt anything in my back."

A healthy Meche ranks atop the Royals' cross-your-fingers spring list because, club officials admit, a healthy Meche is an absolute necessity in mounting any sort of challenge in the American League Central Division.

"It all comes down to our pitching," general manager Dayton Moore said. "If our pitching stays healthy, we've got a chance."

That starts with Meche.

An in-form Meche paired with Cy Young winner Zack Greinke would provide the Royals' rotation with a formidable 1-2 punch. Meche, now 31, compiled a 3.82 ERA while leading all AL pitchers with 68 starts during 2007-08.

"He's been our No. 1 pitcher," manager Trey Hillman said. "Now, Zack has moved into that role, but Gil is right behind him. We need him to be effective, and we need him to stay healthy."

Meche made his first spring start Saturday in a 2-1 victory over Texas at Surprise Stadium. He permitted two hits and one walk while working two scoreless innings and, far more important, experienced no unusual tightness or soreness in his back or shoulder.

"Let's just hope that never comes up again," he said. "The work I put in, not to toot my own horn, but I did a lot of things they wanted me to do for my back to ensure that I wouldn't have any problems."