Healthy Landa adds another power arm to Kernels bullpen

CEDAR RAPIDS – Yorman Landa didn't tell anyone his arm was hurting, but it was apparent by the way he was throwing. The relief pitcher had some physical issues last season when he was with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

'His motion was different, he just didn't look good,” Kernels Manager Jake Mauer said, after his team's 5-4 win Wednesday afternoon over Wisconsin at Veterans Memorial Stadium. 'His velocity was way down.”

This wasn't the Landa that 2014 pitching coach Ivan Arteaga was familiar with, seeing him in Rookie ball and back home in their native Venezuela. He tipped Mauer off about that.

'Ivan told me ‘Jake, something's not right,'” Mauer said. 'So we got him to a doctor.”

Landa had 'an impingement” in his right shoulder, ending his 2014 season after about a month and a half. He had surgery on his labrum, rehabbed and is back to throwing heat-seeking missiles.

He ticked off 2 2/3 hitless innings Wednesday to help the Kernels win the second game of this three-game series. His fastball touches 98 miles per hour and his breaking ball is just plain nasty.

Add another power arm to a bullpen that's got a bunch of them. Cam Booser struggled with his control again but eventually locked down the ninth inning to help the Kernels improve to 56-41 overall and 15-12 in the Midwest League.

'My arm feels better,” said Landa. 'I feel like my arm is strong now.”

Landa was good enough last season to be named a MWL All-Star Game participant, though he didn't play because of his surgery. He stayed back in extended spring training this year, was assigned to Cedar Rapids May 18 but went on the disabled list for two months with a lat strain.

He was activated from the DL July 15 and has allowed only one earned run in 6 2/3 innings.

'No, no, no,” he said, when asked if he ever was nervous his pro career might be done. 'Maybe a little bit. But when I throw (after surgery), I work every day to get back. I feel strong now. I'm very happy to be here, very happy to be able to throw again.”

'He's 95, 96, 97 with a slider. And he's athletic, he moves good,”

Mauer said. 'It just looks like everything is easy out there. His arm action … I'd like to trade places out there with him.”

The Kernels are going to need Landa and others at the end of games after the news that closer Trevor Hildenberger has been promoted to advanced-Class A Fort Myers. Mauer said he got a phone call that woke him up at 12:30 Wednesday morning from Minnesota Twins farm director Brad Steil, asking him to get hold of Hildenberger and tell him he needed to be on an airplane out of Cedar Rapids at 7 a.m.

The sidearming right-hander from the University of California put up stunning numbers for the Kernels, going 2-1 with 14 saves (in 15

opportunities) and a 0.80 earned run average in 28 appearances. He gave up all of 24 hits and five walks in 45 innings, striking out 59.

Fort Myers played 16 innings Tuesday night, so Hildenberger's promotion is supposed to be temporary and on an emergency basis. But the guess is he'll remain with the Miracle.

'They say he could be back, but you know how that goes,” Mauer said.

'He'll go up there and get outs, and we'll never see him again.”

The Kernels will play with 23 active players (two under maximum) for now, though Mauer said pitchers Zack Tillery and John Curtiss, both on the disabled list), are close to returning. The manager desperately wants another position player, however, as he has just two bench guys.

Infielder Blake Schmit is working out at the Twins' minor-league complex in Fort Myers as he recuperates from surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone in his left eye, the result of getting hit with a pitch in the face a couple of months ago. Infielder Trey Vavra, who was leading the Kernels in hitting, has had surgery on his troublesome ankle and is done for the season.

Edgar Corcino had a bases-loaded triple as part of a five-run third inning Wednesday. Ethan Mildren (3-1) started on the mound and got the win.

The Kernels complete their three-game series against Wisconsin at 6:35 Thursday night.

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