The Royals optioned Heasley to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.
Heasley's demotion comes after he was blitzed for six earned runs over 3.1 innings in his return from the 15-day injured list in Saturday's 8-2 loss to the Yankees. Though he'll be heading to the minors, Heasley shouldn't have to wait too long before re-entering the big-league rotation. The Royals will have doubleheaders on consecutive days in the second week of August and will need to temporarily implement a seven-man rotation, and Heasley is a prime candidate to step in as a spot starter.