Cruz-in' along again with Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS - It wasn't even in a game.

Jeremy Cruz strained his oblique muscle doing some practice drills in spring training. The injury kept him in Arizona the first two weeks of the season instead of Cedar Rapids.

“We just had early work one day, and I probably wasn't properly stretched,” said Cruz, whose Cedar Rapids Kernels topped Kane County, 5-4, Wednesday afternoon before 675 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium. “Just took a swing. I thought I had a good stretch in the morning, but I guess I didn't. A little setback.”

Cruz has returned from extended spring training to the Midwest League and slid nicely into the three-hole in the Kernels lineup. The third baseman went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk and three RBIs to help Cedar Rapids (13-6) win for the 11th time in 13 games.

“It's getting there. I'm getting to be (healthy), for the most part. I feel pretty good,” Cruz said. “Now I'm just trying to get my timing down. I didn't really get that many at-bats in my rehab assignment in Arizona. But I feel good.”

It was a little surprising to see Cruz, 24, slated to come back to these parts in the first place. He joined the Kernels in May last season and went on to hit a solid .287, with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 69 games.

But the 13th-round draft pick of the parent Angels in 2009 hasn't had a lot of pro experience. He was injured and didn't play at all after signing in 2009, and is still learning the nuances of playing the hot corner defensively.

“Coming back here and getting more experience at third is OK,” he said. “A lot of people say it's harder to hit in the Midwest League than the California League, so I look at this as a good thing. I'm still developing this and that. Whatever I have to do to be in a starting lineup and play every day, that's what I want to do.”

The Kernels scored four of their five runs the first two innings, parlaying a pair of walks and five hits. Starting pitcher Brian Diemer (2-1) threw five innings for the win, with Donn Roach and Kevin Johnson closing it out.

Cedar Rapids begins a series at Quad Cities tonight.

"We're getting some good pitching,” said Kernels Manager

Brent Del Chiaro. “Some really good pitching.”