The Royals promoted left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery from Class A Advanced Wilmington to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday. The 20-year-old is scheduled to start Friday's game for the Naturals vs. Arkansas.

Montgomery, MLB.com's No. 43 prospect, made four starts for Wilmington and was 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA. He struck out 33 batters, walked four and held opponents to a .165 batting average over 24 2/3 innings. He was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week twice.

Montgomery, a first-round Draft pick in 2008 out of Hart High School (Newhall, Calif.), divided time between Class A Burlington and Class A Advanced Wilmington in 2009. He was named Burlington's Pitcher of the Year - as well as the Paul Splittorff Royals Pitcher of the Year -- and finished a combined 6-4 with a 2.21 ERA. He recorded 98 strikeouts in 110 innings.

In 2008, Montgomery was 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 12 games, including nine starts, for the Rookie-level Arizona League Royals. He earned his first professional victory on Aug. 3, when he allowed one unearned run on two hits and struck out a season-high seven over five innings against the Arizona League Athletics.

Montogmery has an above-average fastball that hits 94 mph, and three offspeed pitches to work with -- a curveball, a changeup and a palmball.

To make room for the 6-foot-5, 180-pound Montgomery, the Naturals placed left-hander Ben Swaggerty on the seven-day disabled list with an injured right oblique.