Rosario returns to Kernels, pitches well

CEDAR RAPIDS – He was removed with a seven-run lead and just one out to get to qualify for a win, but Randy Rosario was still all smiles postgame late Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

He should have been, because his return to the Cedar Rapids Kernels and their starting pitching rotation was terrific. A little over a year removed from Tommy John surgery, the 21-year-old left hander from the Dominican Republic threw 4 2/3 innings of shutout baseball in a 9-6 victory over the Burlington Bees before 2,287 fans.

He proudly showed off his battle wound when asked in Spanish: 'Donde esta la cicatriz?” Where is your scar?

'It was something good, amazing,” Rosario said, in English. 'I feel like a new guy 13 months out. '

Rosario made three mediocre starts last April for the Kernels, then was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. It was a disappointing and sudden end to the 2014 season for a guy considered a top 20 prospect of the Minnesota Twins.

He went under the knife, rehabbed, stayed back in extended spring training and made two appearances for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins before being sent back to Cedar Rapids late last week. In three official post-surgery starts, he hasn't allowed a run over 12 2/3 innings and has struck out 14.

His fastball Sunday was consistently in the low-90s.

'I just did so many exercises,” he said. 'They give me something new to do every day. Now I feel better. Now I feel like I have a new life.”

'First outing, not as sharp as he normally is,” said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. 'You saw his arm. He's fluid and smooth. He's going to be pretty good. He's barely a year out from Tommy John. He's got really good stuff, he's going to help us. It's nice to see him healthy, good to see him smiling.”

By the way, Rosario was taken out because he had hit his pitch limit of 75. Brandon Bixler (1-0) got the full benefit of the big lead and picked up the win, going 2 1/3 innings.

Burlington made it interesting with five runs in the ninth inning against Michael Theofanopoulos, but he coaxed a fielder's choice groundout to shortstop to improve the Kernels to 48-33 overall and 7-4 in the first half.

Beloit comes to town for a two-game series beginning Monday night at 6:35. Rosario is part of basically a seven-man starting rotation right now for Cedar Rapids, joining Felix Jorge, Sam Gibbons, Ethan Mildren, Zach Tillery, Jared Westphal and Jared Wilson

'It's not ideal, obviously,” Mauer said. It's just hard to find that many starters … We're pretty lucky. But also, too, if one guy has a tough go, that really limits your bullpen, as far as what you can do, mixing and matching. You can't be quite as aggressive.”

The Kernels pounded out 14 hits, at least one from every starter but Zack Larson. And he walked and scored a run.

J.J. Fernandez had a big 3-for-4 game with four RBIs, including a three-run double in the first inning. Brian Navarreto also had three hits, encouraging signs for a pair that have had sub-.200 batting averages.

'Approach, I think, has been a lot different,” Mauer said. 'Getting guys like Fernandez and Navarreto going, now we're creating some depth.”

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