Norris (5-8) earned the win over the Royals on Thursday, giving up two hits over five scoreless innings. He struck out one batter and did not issue a walk.
At one point, Norris appeared in danger of being removed from the game with some sort of back or oblique issue, but the lefty convinced the training staff that he was good to continue on. Norris missed significant time due to a groin injury this season and struggled with walks throughout most of the year, although he did show improvement with his control following his return in September (five walks over 16.2 innings). There are questions about his viability as a starter in the big leagues, but Norris, a former top prospect, will have plenty of more chances to prove himself.