(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Walter Keller & Freek Bouw)
  German Max Kepler in Major League
Nederlands
 KANSAS CITY, Missouri (USA) -
German outfielder Max Kepler-Rozycki has been recalled by the Minnesota Twins on Sunday (April 10) and played the same evening against the Kansas City Royals.
Last season, Kepler already had made his Major League-debut, playing in three games for the Twins.
...Max Kepler...
(© Photo: Walter Keller) |
Max Kepler, who was born in Berlin, is the second German player to play in the Major League.
The first was Donald Lutz, who in 2013 made his debut playing for the Cincinnati Reds.
While being born in the USA, Lutz was a baby when he moved with his parents to Germany, where he grew up.
He started playing baseball in Germany, then was signed by the Reds in 2007.
Lutz has played in 62 Major League-games for the Reds in 2013-2014.
Last year, he underwent Tommy John-surgery, was released, but also re-signed and is now recovering and on his way back.
Lutz currently plays in Double-A.
Both Lutz and Kepler have played for the National Team of Germany.
They both played for the German squad during the 2012 World Baseball Classic Qualifier.
Before turning professional, the 23-year old Max Kepler, who is a lefthanded hitter, played for Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg in the Bundesliga, the highest German league.
Kepler was signed by the Minnesota Twins in 2009 as an amateur free agent.
He then made his professional debut at age 17 in 2010, playing in 37 games for the GCL Twins at the Rookie League-level.
Kepler remained in the Rookie League the next two seasons, then promoted to Single-A in 2013.
That was followed by a season in a higher level Single-A (Advanced) in 2014.
2015 then became a dream-season for the young outfielder.
In April of that year, after having played just six games for Fort Myers Miracle (Single-A Advanced), Kepler was assigned to the Chattanooga Lookouts in Double-A.
There, he had a promising season.
Kepler played in 112 games and batted .322 with nine homeruns and 71 runs batted in, while scoring 76 runs.
...Donald Lutz...
(© Photo: Freek Bouw /
Phrake Photography) |
When the Major League-rosters were expanded from 25 to 40 players in September, the Twins recalled the German towards the end of the season.
Kepler made his Major League-debut on September 27 when the Twins played against Detroit Tigers in Detroit.
He then entered the game in the top of the ninth inning as pinch-hitter for Torii Hunter and struckout in his lone at bat.
Kepler remained in the game as rightfielder.
The Twins won 7-1.
Three days later, September 30, he played in his next game and struckout again in his lone at bat against the Cleveland Indians.
On October 4, in the last game of the regular season, Kepler played a complete game.
In the home game against the future World Series-champion Kansas City Royals, Kepler was the third batter and played in rightfield.
In the third inning, Kepler hit his first Major League-basehit, a single off of Johnny Cueto.
Kepler was 1-for-5 in the game, that was won by the Royals, 6-1.
Last year, Kepler was a selection for the All Star Futures Games, but was unable to play due to a shoulder-injury.
He was named Most Valuable Player of the Southern League (AA).
This year, he was in Major League Spring Training with the Twins, but on March 25, he was optioned to the Rochester Red Wings in Triple-A.
There, he began the season as teammate of Dutch pitcher Loek van Mil.
On Sunday (April 10), the Twins placed outfielder Danny Santana on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring and recalled Kepler.
In the evening, coincidentally again against the Royals, Kepler entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as new rightfielder.
In the top of the ninth, with runners on first and second base and two outs, Kepler walked, but the Twins left three runners behind when a strikeout ended the inning.
The Royals won the game 4-3 in ten innings on a wild pitch.
(April 11)
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