"Royals pitcher Gil Meche believes he made every effort to avoid shoulder surgery — and it just didn't work. So season-ending surgery now looms as a likely next step.

"I've done everything possible I could do to be on that mound," he said. "I know that, (the Royals) know that. It's not like I'm sitting here not wanting to pitch."

All that work failed to resolve the problem.

Meche showed diminished velocity Monday in a rehabilitation start for Class AAA Omaha against New Orleans. More troubling, his shoulder problems sharpened despite avoiding the strain of throwing his curveball, one of his best pitches.

"The next step," manager Ned Yost confirmed, "is he'll probably have to have to surgery on (the shoulder) to figure out exactly what's wrong and repair it. We're still evaluating, but it looks like that's what we're going to have to do."

It marks the second major injury to hit the Royals within a week. Outfielder David DeJesus underwent season-ending surgery Monday in Cleveland to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Meche, 31, made two minor-league starts in an effort to recover from a shoulder injury that forced him to the disabled list after a May 25 start against Texas. His four scoreless innings last Wednesday for Class AA Northwest Arkansas left everyone encouraged.

"The first game, it went pretty good" Meche said. "I was throwing hard, velocity was great. And I just didn't quite bounce back like I thought I would in my second start. Velocity wasn't as good.

"I still didn't throw my curveball, still not locating. So it's one of those things where (you wonder) if you keep pushing in this direction or do something else."

Meche gave up seven runs and eight hits in four innings Monday in Omaha's 9-6 loss to New Orleans. Immediately afterward, he returned to Kansas City to undergo an examination."