Baseball notebook: These Kernels don’t like to walk

CEDAR RAPIDS — They say a hit's as good as a walk, though you'd have a hard time believing that watching the Cedar Rapids Kernels play this season.

They went into their game Saturday night at Kane County having drawn the fewest walks in the Midwest League. That total of 105 in 48 games is 24 behind Lake County, which is 15th in the 16-team league.

Lansing leads the MWL with 189 walks, having played three fewer games than the Kernels. That is a lot more baserunners.

'We talk to them all the time, not necessarily about the walks part, but about making sure we are swinging at pitches that are in the zone that you can handle,' Kernels hitting coach Brian Dinkelman said. 'When you start chasing out of the zone, you're going to get to two strikes quicker and strike out more. So it's just making sure that we are swinging at pitches that are in the zone.'

Caleb Hamilton and Travis Blankenhorn lead Cedar Rapids with 14 walks apiece, with Hamilton's total coming in just 25 games. Blankenhorn has struck out 50 times, so his walk-to-strikeout ratio isn't very good.

The Kernels' rank in the middle of the league in strikeouts as a team at 388, so that's not necessarily a problem. And they have made up for their lack of walks with power, their 43 home runs only behind Quad Cities' 51 in the Midwest League.

A .729 team OPS (on-base plus slugging) ranks third in the league. So perhaps this whole asking-for-more-walks theory is unnecessary.

The bottom line is scoring runs, a stastitic in which Cedar Rapids is 10th.

'If you don't swing at pitches out of the zone, our walks will go up more,' Dinkelman said. 'We talk to them all the time about just not giving away at-bats and getting pitches to hit. They've heard it from us. It's not so much that it has to be a walk, but it's making sure we are getting good pitches to hit. We do that, and the walks will take care of themselves.'

KELLER HEADS TO DL

Former Cedar Rapids Xavier prep Mitch Keller was placed on the disabled list Friday by the high-Class A Brandenton Mauraders with a back strain.

The parent Pittsburgh Pirates' No. 2 prospect, according to Baseball America, left his last start on May 16 after one inning because of a back issue.

He is 3-2 with a 2.93 earned run average in eight starts this season, allowing just 29 hits in 40 innings.

BURDI TO HAVE TOMMY JOHN SURGERY

Former Cedar Rapids Kernels reliever Nick Burdi was diagnosed this week with a fully torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will have season-ending Tommy John Surgery.

Burdi, who can throw his fastball 100 miles per hour, was the parent Twins' second-round draft pick in 2014 out of Louisville. He made his pro debut that summer with the Kernels and was 2-0 with a save and 0.53 ERA in 14 games this season at Double-A Chattanooga at the time of his injury.

HOW THEY'RE DOING

Joel Booker (University of Iowa) — Has gone 7-for-10 with two home runs and four RBIs in his last two games for low-Class A Kannapolis (White Sox). Hitting .331 in 43 games this season, with 10 stolen bases.

Matt Dermody (University of Iowa) — Relief pitcher is 4-0 with a 3.26 earned run average in 14 games for Triple-A Buffalo (Blue Jays). Has struck out 17 in 19 1/3 innings.

Derrick Loveless (Solon) — Outfielder hitting .217 in 15 games at Double-A New Hampshire (Blue Jays). Has combined .264 batting average between New Hampshire and high-A Dunedin.

Tyler Peyton (University of Iowa) — Is off to a 1-0 start and 0.00 ERA in two appearances for low-A South Bend (Cubs). Has allowed three hits and no walks in 5 2/3 innings, with eight strikeouts.

A.J. Puk (Cedar Rapids Washington) — Lefty starter didn't give up any hits but walked four and allowed a run (striking out seven) in his last start for high-A Stockton (Athletics). Season numbers are 2-4 record and 3.86 ERA in 10 appearances, seven starts.

Scott Schebler (Cedar Rapids Prairie) — Cincinnati Reds outfielder connected on his 14th home run of the season Friday night at Philadelphia. Hitting .247 in 45 games, with 28 RBIs this season.

Eric Toole (University of Iowa) — Outfielder had a 2-for-4 game Friday for low-A Asheville (Rockies), raising his batting average to .163 in 13 games overall.

Jake Yacinich (University of Iowa) — Shortstop for high-A Inland Empire (Angels) hitting .235 in 31 games, with three homers and nine RBIs.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com