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The Twins are bringing veteran second baseman/left fielder Tony Kemp aboard on a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Put up. The Ballengee Group consumer will presumably head to Triple-A St. Paul to start his tenure with the group.
Kemp, 32, started the season with the Orioles however was designated for project when Baltimore known as up No. 1 general prospect Jackson Holliday. He went unclaimed on waivers and rejected an outright project in favor of free company. He’ll now be part of up with a Minnesota membership that has seen its infield depth instantly thinned out by accidents.
Minnesota misplaced star third baseman Royce Lewis to a quad pressure within the first recreation of the season, and shortstop Carlos Correa lately hit the injured listing with an indirect pressure. That’s pushed utilitymen Willi Castro and Kyle Farmer into extra common roles. Former high prospect Austin Martin has gotten a while on the infield filth as properly, however he’s additionally getting used within the outfield with Max Kepler at present on the injured listing as a result of a knee contusion suffered when fouling a ball into his leg. Jose Miranda, one other former high prospect who had a robust debut displaying in 2022 earlier than seeing his 2023 marketing campaign ruined by shoulder surgical procedure, can also be again within the nook infield combine on the huge league degree.
Whereas Kemp’s 2023 season was one he’d prefer to neglect — he hit simply .209/.303/.304 in 419 plate appearances with Oakland — he was a strong contributor for the A’s from 2020-22. In that point, he hit .252/.341/.361 whereas taking part in each second base and left discipline. Kemp is a profession .237/.324/.351 hitter who’s walked in 10.1% of his plate appearances and fanned at only a 13.3% clip. That latter quantity may maintain specific enchantment to a Twins membership that has been allergic to contact each this yr and final. Relationship again to 2023, no group in baseball has a better strikeout fee than Minnesota’s woeful 26.7% clip.
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