Tagged: Eric Hosmer

Ka’aihue, Holland had a big July before promotions

First baseman Kila Ka’aihue and right-hander Greg Holland apparently earned their promotions to Kansas City. They were named the Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for July with Triple-A Omaha.

Ka’aihue hit .343 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs in July and was promoted as the month ended. Holland had a 0.59 ERA in 15 1/3 innings with 28 strikeouts before being called up last Thursday.

The other top players and pitchers for the other farm clubs: Northwest Arkansas (AA) – Second baseman Johnny Giavotella and left-hander Chris Dwyer; Wilmington (A) – Outfielder Nick Francis and left-hander John Lamb; Burlington, Iowa (A) – Outfielder Carlo Testa and right-hander Tyler Sample; Idaho Falls (Rookie) – First baseman Murray Watts and right-hander Greg Billo; Burlington, N.C. (Rookie) – Third baseman Ryan Stovall and right-hander Leonel Santiago; Surprise (Rookie) – Shortstop Michael Antonio and left-hander Rudy Brown; Dominican – Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio and right-hander Jose Brazoban.

Left-hander Edgar Osuna had a rough initiation into Triple-A, giving up four homers among nine hits and eight runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 12-6 loss at Memphis. . . . Eric Hosmer hit his seventh homer in 18 games since joining Double-A Northwest Arkansas. That matches the total he had in 87 games with Single-A Wilmington.

–Dick Kaegel

Moustakas on fast track with hot start in Double-A

Third baseman Mike Moustakas keeps lighting up the sky at Springdale, Ark. He blasted a couple of two-run homers for Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday as the Naturals completed a four-game sweep of Tulsa. That brought his Texas League-leading average to .394 and he was tied for the league lead in homers, 10, and RBIs, 33. And that’s despite missing 12 games because of injury.

Royals manager Ned Yost, who assessed Moustakas before taking the managerial job, was asked about the Moose’s rise toward the Major Leagues.

“He swung the bat for me very, very well. Played very good defensively there. I mean he’s getting closer,” Yost said. “There’s no thing like just going out and playing and getting experience at that level. The thing that I keep looking at in these guys is they’re getting closer. When he is ready to go, we’ll know when that time it but he’s definitely getting closer.”

Could Moustakas be thrown out onto the Kauffman Stadium diamond right now?

“I don’t have to throw him out there now so that’s something I don’t have to think about,” Yost said. “If there was something that happened and we needed a third baseman, well, then we’ll sit back and look at it. But that’s not the case now and again I try to look every single day I try to look how we can make our club better with the guys here. He’s definitely in the plans for us long-term but, as of today, we keep going with what we’re going with and we’ve done all right.”

Right-hander Aaron Crow pitched that victory for the Naturals, improving his record to 2-3. . . . Eric Hosmer’s double in Single-A Wilmington’s 9-2 loss at Lynchburg put him second in Carolina League with 16. He was leading the league with a .384 mark. . . . Twelve-year-old Dylan Peters of Olathe, Kan., was in the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat on Friday night. He wrote an award-winning book, “Tic Talk – Living with Tourette Syndrome” and has spoken to thousands of kids in the Kansas City area about accepting and comforting those who suffer from personal challenges.

–Dick Kaegel

Hosmer hitting up a storm for Wilmington

Two of the Royals’ top draft picks are hitting up a storm. First baseman Eric Hosmer, their No. 1 choice in 2008, was leading all Minor League hitters with a .409 average for Single-A Wilmington with 42-for-110 through 32 games. He had 14 extra-bases hits including one homer and 21 RBIs. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, the first-round in 2007, was right behind at .408 (29-for-71) for Double-A Northwest Arkansas after missing the first three weeks with an oblique injury. He had nine doubles, six homers and 20 RBIs in 18 games. Those stats were through Monday.

Moustakas went 4-for-5 in the Naturals’ 7-3 victory over Tulsa on Monday. Left-hander Mike Montgomery held the Drillers to four hits and two walks in six innings and is 2-0 since moving up to Double-A. Moustakas, though, went 0-for-3 in Tuesday’s 4-1 win and he slipped to .392. . . . Shortstop Rey Navarro hit his first home run for Wilmington, his first since being acquired from Arizona in the Carlos Rosa trade, in a 6-5 win over Lynchburg. Catcher Salvador Perez celebrated his 20th birthday with a homer as well, his second. . . . Hilton Richardson’s two steals for Single-A Burlington in a 6-4 loss at Cedar Rapids gave him 12 in 13 attempts. . . . Jean Hinman, who works community projects through the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park, Kan., was in the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat on Tuesday night.

–Dick Kaegel