Kaelen Culpepper shows his first-round ability for Cedar Rapids Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS — Billy Amick is on the injured list. An oblique thing.

Ditto for Rayne Doncon. Also an oblique thing.

Kyle DeBarge isn’t on the IL but hasn’t played in about a week. It’s a wrist thing.

That’s three starting infielders for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and three legit Minnesota Twins prospects. Not good.

On the flip side, Kaelen Culpepper is healthy after beginning this Midwest League season a little ouchy and then winding up on the IL for a week a bit later.

“It’s great playing every day. Always a blessing,” said Culpepper before his team’s 7-6, 11-inning loss Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium to Peoria. “I feel like I’m in a really good spot. My body is feeling great now.”

OK, check that after this one. The Kernels shortstop was slow to get up and off the field following a home-plate collision with Peoria catcher Grayson Tarlow in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Culpepper was at third base with one out when Danny DeAndrade chopped one to third. The contact play was on, Culpepper tried to score, slid head first into the plate. Tarlow’s shin guards are made of hard plastic.

You get the picture. Culpepper stayed down for awhile, was attended to by Kernels head trainer Taylor Carpenter, finally climbed to his knees and eventually his feet and walked to the dugout under his own power.

“His neck is a little stiff,” Kernels Manager Brian Meyer said. “Bang-bang play. Just watched the video of it. It’s something that when you slide head first at home, you always put yourself in a vulnerable situation. It sucks. No concussion. We’ll see how he responds tomorrow.”

Culpepper, 22, was Minnesota’s first-round draft pick last year out of Kansas State ($3.9-million signing bonus). He began his pro career at low-A Fort Myers, ending the season in Cedar Rapids.

He’s known for his disciplined offensive approach and line-drive swing, things that have proven true this season. Culpepper went into Wednesday with a .284 average in 24 games, hitting at the top of the Kernels lineup.

“A really talented kid that is really finding his way,” Meyer said. “He’s got a really strong arm, a good internal clock. He knows when to use it and everything, which helps him.

“He’s still a young infielder who has some things to clean up. But, boy, you like what you see just from a raw talent perspective.”

Culpepper incurred a hamstring strain in spring training, and the Kernels employed a plan in which he began the season initially not playing in back-to-back games and coming out of the games he did play in the later innings. Hamstring injuries can be nagging.

“We were just being very cautious with things,” he said. “It was a plan. I wouldn’t say it sucked. It was just sticking to it and making sure I got my at-bats. I was still playing (most) days, getting playing time. So it wasn’t too bad.”

With that and his minor wrist problem officially having been overcome, Culpepper said he was just looking forward to remaining healthy, on the field and continuing to develop. Now this.

But assuming he’s all right and continues to play as he has been, you’d have to think he’ll be in Double-A at some point this summer.

“Just playing every day consistently. Just continuing to get better every day at something. You always have something to work on,” he said. “For me, it’s just trying to be consistent at whatever I do.

“Offense, defense, you can always get better at something. Stealing bases, being more aggressive there. Being more disciplined at the plate. Hit balls harder. Making my routine (defensive) plays. Doing all of the above things to help the team win and get to the next level. It’s an every day grind. I’m getting used to it. All gas, no brakes.”

The Kernels (20-14) ended up falling for the second straight game in this series, as Trey Paige hit a go-ahead two-run home run leading off the Peoria 11th. Cedar Rapids got one run back in the bottom half, but it wasn’t enough.

Peoria scored four runs in the top of the first inning, with the Kernels scratching and clawing their way into a 5-5 tie on a Nate Baez RBI single in the eighth. Gabby Gonzalez had three hits (including a home run) in the game for C.R., which went into Wednesday one game back of Quad Cities for first place in the MWL’s Western Division.

“We battled,” Meyer said. “Kept winning innings in the middle innings, which was good. We were down 4-0 in the first and found a way to tie it. We kept playing, so the resilience was good.”

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