The Kansas City Star reports Major League Baseball has asked the Royals to keep first-round pick Eric Hosmer out of the lineup with Rookie-level Idaho Falls until the grievance filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association regarding the Aug. 15 signing deadline is resolved.

Hosmer did not play for the Chukars last night, raising suspicions that something was afoot. The Star reports that MLB issued a statement on the matter that read, "We have asked the Royals to not play Eric Hosmer until the situation regarding certain player signings has been resolved.”

Hosmer was the third overall pick in the draft after leading Florida prep school American Heritage to Baseball America’s final No. 1 ranking this spring. He apparently signed for a $6 million bonus on the night of the deadline, though sources have confirmed to Baseball America that Hosmer’s contract was the last one agreed to and was signed after midnight.

Hosmer, who is off to a 4-for-11 start in his pro career, told Baseball America’s Nathan Rode on Friday that he didn’t know enough about the situation to comment.

The grievance came to light after the Pirates couldn’t get the second overall pick, Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, to report for his physical and introductory press conference after he also had agreed to a $6 million bonus. Pirates team president Frank Coonelly brought Hosmer, who like Alvarez is represented by the Scott Boras Corporation, into the situation by questioning how Alvarez’s contract would affect Hosmer.

"The Pirates are confident that the contract reached with Pedro Alvarez was agreed to and submitted to Major League Baseball in a timely fashion and properly accepted by Major League Baseball," Coonelly said in a statement. "In fact, the contract between the Kansas City Royals and Eric Hosmer, another Boras client, was submitted to the Office of the Commissioner after our contract with Pedro was submitted. Mr. Boras is apparently satisfied with the $6 million bonus that he secured for Mr. Hosmer and has not challenged the validity of that contract. Mr. Boras has been informed that if he pursues a claim that our contract with Pedro was not timely, he puts Eric Hosmer’s contract with Kansas City in jeopardy."

And that came to fruition Thursday night in Idaho. The grievance is scheduled for a Sept. 10 hearing.