Having already brought up two of their top prospects from Class AA Chattanooga earlier this year, the Twins promoted a third after the Lookouts' season ended with a championship.
Max Kepler, the Twins Minor League Player of the year, will be brought to the majors for the final two weeks of the regular season, the Twins announced Monday night after Chattanooga won the Southern League title with a 4-0 victory over Biloxi.
Kepler homered, D.J. Baxendale and Jason Wheeler combined on a four-hitter and the host Lookouts won the best-of-five series 3-2.
Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano made the leap from the Lookouts to the Twins this year. But Chattanooga, in its first year as a Twins affiliate, still had the 22-year-old Kepler, who hit .322 with nine homers and 71 RBI, 76 runs and 18 stolen bases in 22 attempts for the Lookouts and was named league MVP. He had only three hits in the championship series, but all three were homers.
Kepler was signed for $800,000 out of Germany in 2009.
Cedar Rapids falls
Class A Cedar Rapids also played host to a decisive Game 5 for a league title Monday, but the Kernels weren't as fortunate as Chattanooga, losing to West Michigan 3-2 in the Midwest League championship series.
Austin Diemer homered for the Kernels, who were held to four hits but led 2-0 before giving up three fifth-inning runs.
