Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball

2 pitchers join Kernels; Pineda demoted

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Monday that right-handed pitchers Chih-Wei Hu and Jake Reed will join the Kernels from Elizabethton in the Appalachian League.

Hu, 20, is from Taiwan. Reed, 21, is from La Mesa, Calif.

The Twins selected Reed in the fifth round of the 2014 draft from the University of Oregon. In four relief appearances at Elizabethton, he had no record and three saves in six innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight.

In 31 relief appearances at Oregon this year, he posted a 4-1 record, 1.95 ERA and 13 saves, allowing 22 hits and nine runs (eight earned) with 15 walks and 34 strikeouts in 37 innings.

The Twins signed Hu as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 3, 2012. He spent last season with the GCL Twins, posting a 2-0 record and 2.45 ERA in 12 games (five starts).

In 36.2 innings, he allowed 28 hits and 11 runs (10 earned) with eight walks and 39 strikeouts. In three starts this season at Elizabethton, he has a 1-0 record and 1.69 ERA, allowing seven hits and three runs (all earned) with two walks and 16 strikeouts in 16 innings.

In other news Monday, Kernels outfielder Jeremias Pineda has been activated from the 7-day disabled list and assigned to Elizabethton.

Pineda went on the DL April 21 with a fracture of the left wrist/hamate. In 15 games for the Kernels, he hit .163 (8-for-49) with a home run and six RBIs.

Kernels finish suspended game Friday

The suspended game between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Clinton LumberKings from Monday, June 30 will resume at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Ashford University Field in Clinton.

The score was tied, 3-3, in the top of the 10th inning when the game was suspended by severe weather at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Since the Kernels and LumberKings do not play in Cedar Rapids the rest of the season, the game must be resumed when the Kernels travel to Clinton to start a four-game series Friday.

The Kernels will be the home team for the remainder of the suspended game. Thirty minutes following the conclusion of the suspended game, the scheduled game for July 11 will be played as a nine-inning game, with the Kernels as the visiting team.

2 Kernels promoted to Fort Myers

Cedar Rapids Kernels pitchers Ethan Mildren and Todd Van Steensel were promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle in the Florida State League Monday, according to MiLB.com.

Mildren, a starting pitcher, compiled a 3-5 record and 4.03 ERA in 73.2 innings for the Kernels. He excelled in his last two outings, throwing seven shutout innings against Clinton June 29 and seven more shutout innings against Beloit July 4.

Van Steensel, a relief pitcher, had a 0-0 record and 1.30 ERA in 30 games for the Kernels. He collected eight saves in 34.2 innings.

Kernels waste good effort by Slegers

Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Aaron Slegers was named the club’s Pitcher of the Month in April and now, after some inconsistency in May and June, the tall right-hander is trying to make a case for the same honor in July.

On Sunday, Slegers (5-6) was the hard-luck loser as Cedar Rapids batters managed just one hit in 13 opportunities with runners in scoring position en route to a 3-2 loss to the Beloit Snappers before 1,354 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Slegers went seven innings and was charged with all three Beloit runs.

It was the second straight strong start for Slegers, without a win to show for it. On Tuesday in Appleton, Wis., Slegers worked five scoreless innings against Wisconsin before an hour-long rain delay in the middle of the sixth inning put an end to his evening.

Read more...

Garver replaces Granite on Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Saturday that catcher Mitch Garver has been activated from the 7-day disabled list and outfielder Zack Granite has been placed on the 7-day disabled list.

Garver went on the DL June 25 with concussion-like symptoms. In 70 games for the Kernels, he is batting .306 with eight homers, 17 doubles and 47 RBIs.

Granite went on the DL for the second time this season, this time with a left quad strain suffered in the first inning of the Kernels' 3-0 win over Beloit Friday night. In 21 games for the Kernels, he is batting .291 with two doubles, two triples and two RBIs.

Burdi shows his form, but Kernels fall

APPLETON, Wis. - Nick Burdi can breathe a little easier now after making his second appearance for the Cedar Rapids Kernels Thursday night.

Burdi pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Kernels and struck out three batters, a far cry from his first appearance last week for Cedar Rapids when he walked four straight batters and helped blow a 4-0 lead.

Wisconsin defeated the Kernels, 5-3, Thursday despite the encouraging work by Burdi, a second-round draft pick this year who got a $1.2 million bonus from the Minnesota Twins.

Kernels starter Ryan Eades (5-8) gave up five runs in five innings and the Kernels were not able to recover.

Read more...

Kernels honor military heroes July 4

The Cedar Rapids Kernels will be giving the first 1,000 fans through the gates on Friday, July 4 a set of their first annual Military Heroes Baseball Cards.

There are 39 heroes included in the set. They represent every branch of the military and honor those who are currently serving our country, those who are now retired from military service and those who bravely fought for our country but have since passed away.

In addition, all heroes who were included in the card set who could make it to the game will be recognized in a post-game ceremony on the field.

Here is the list of those included in the Military Heroes Baseball Card Set (P = posthumous, AD = active duty):

Aarhus, Ryan (AD)
Aarhus, Todd (AD)
Arthur, Robert J
Atkinson, Kevin
Birky, Harold (P)
Bisek, Michael (Mike)
Brighi, Jordan (AD)
Bruner, James "Jim"
Bulger, Douglas Glen (AD)
Curran, Guy "Bud" (P)
Foss, Sgt. Aiden "Bud" (P)
Hajek, Bob (P)
Hammon, George
Hanson, Albert "Barney"
Hoskins, Blaine A. (P)
Hutton, James Robert
Kelly, Robert G. (P)
Kendrick, Sonia
King, Cheryl
King, Dale
Lage, Cmdr. Thomas D.
Musser, Troy
Nash, Richard Warren (P)
Pasker, Terryl L. "Terry" (P)
Peterson, Beth
Port, Arnold
Power, John
Price, Clyde A (P)
Primrose, Robert
Rinas, Bruno (P)
Snitker, Cpl. Curtis (P)
Sprengeler, Bob
Stutler, Joe
Torres, Frederick L. (AD)
Tyne, Donald
Tyne, Ronald
Vanscoy, Harold
Welter, Jason
Whannel, Leroy

The gates will open at 3:30 Friday and the first pitch is set for 5:05 p.m.

In addition to the Military Heroes Baseball Card Sets, the Kernels will wear special patriotic jerseys that will be sold during the game via a silent auction with the proceeds to benefit Stand Down for Veterans.

Kernels fall at Wisconsin, 1-0, in 12

APPLETON, Wis. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels spent a long, unhappy night at Fox Cities Stadium Tuesday in Appleton, Wis.

The Kernels lost to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 1-0, in 12 innings in a soggy Midwest League game before 2,849 fans.

The game took 3 hours, 24 minutes to play and there was a rain delay that lasted 1 hour, 19 minutes, putting the total time at 4 hours, 43 minutes.

Read more...

Kernels activate Quesada from DL

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Tuesday that catcher Michael Quesada has been activated from the 7-day disabled list.

Quesada went on the DL June 19 with a right wrist contusion. In 31 games for the Kernels, he is batting .178 with two homers and 12 RBIs.

With today's transaction, the Kernels roster is at the Midwest League maximum of 25 active players, with seven players currently on the DL.