Jon

Kemmer

Kemmer was playing in the Mexican League, and he was hitting a sensational 355/.454/.714 with 21 homers. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and he’ll likely serve as organizational depth for the remainder of the 2019 season barring something unforeseeable.

The 26-year-old Kemmer hit .265/.334/.477 in his first year in Triple-A last season. He was far better in Double-A in 2015, finishing at .327/.414/.574. He doesn’t offer much defensive value, so he needs bigger numbers in Triple-A this year to give himself a realistic shot of finding a home in the majors. The Astros probably won’t ever have room for him.

Alejandro Garcia, Jordan Jankowski and Tyson Perez were also sent down on Saturday. Kemmer impressed this spring, hitting .308 with one homer and five RBI across 26 Cactus League at-bats. Houston’s roster is down to 34 players with Opening Day a little over a week away.

Kemmer has been a solid performer at the Triple-A level three years running, but he’s 27 and hasn’t been able to sniff the big leagues. The first baseman/corner outfielder should have a better chance at getting a shot with the Twins. He’s hit .254/.335/.475 with 13 homers and 44 RBI at Triple-A Fresno this season.