Kernels’ Stewart hopes to be back soon

CEDAR RAPIDS - The MRI came back clear, which made Kohl Stewart's mind the same way.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher and top Minnesota Twins prospect admitted he was scared to death when his right shoulder tightened up on him last week. He first noticed something wasn't quite right on the team's nine-hour bus ride to Bowling Green, Ky., of all places.

The 19-year-old first-round draft pick was scratched from his start the following night and placed on the disabled list. He was sent to the Twin Cities earlier this week to get his wing completely checked out.

No structural damage was detected, he's feeling better and beginning to throw again.

'It locked up on me. I don't know what happened, it just wouldn't loosen up,” Stewart said. 'I couldn't even throw a baseball ... I don't know, I think I did something when I was sleeping, honestly. I'm a pretty violent sleeper, so I think I might have pinned it up (underneath me) somehow.”

Stewart has been terrific in his first full professional season, compiling a 2.42 earned run average in 17 starts. He has allowed just 69 hits in 81.2 innings, on a strict pitch count of 75 for every game.

He hopes he'll be off the DL soon and back on the mound helping his first-place team.

'Probably going to come back somewhere around the sixth or seventh, I think,” he said. 'I don't know if that's for sure or anything, but that's the goal.”

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