Jason Kubel has impressed everyone with his rehabilitation from injury and
his quick bat and strong arm, earning him a spot on the major league
roster..

By La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

FORT MYERS, FLA. - After watching a series of line drives fly out of the
cage during an early-spring batting practice, Rondell White wanted more
information.

Who's the kid?

"That man's got a nice swing," said White, the Twins' new designated
hitter. "A nice, smooth stroke. It was impressive."

Jason Kubel opened White's eyes while reminding everyone else at camp of
the stroke that has made him one of the Twins' best hitting prospects in
recent years. The prospect that in 2004 jumped from Class AA New Britain
to the AL playoffs against the Yankees. The kid that appeared certain to
land a major league job in 2005, before a serious knee injury sidelined
him the entire season.

White, who has played with the likes of Moises Alou, Vladimir Guerrero,
Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and Ivan Rodriguez during his career, had plenty
of praise for Kubel just a couple weeks into spring training.

"He's a guy you look at and you know he's going to be in the major
leagues," White said. "He just has that look like he belongs, like a
Chipper Jones."

The Twins believe that Kubel, 23, belongs in the majors right now. The
youngster is heading north to start the season, a product of a good spring
and having a spot open up when veteran Ruben Sierra pulled a right quad.

"I think he's convinced all of us that he's one of the best players here
in camp," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's moving around fine.
We've seen him run out a triple. We have seen him do just about
everything."

He earned a job this spring after recovering from a massive knee injury
suffered in October of 2004 during an Arizona Fall League game. He had
surgery to repair a torn ACL, PCL and LCL in December of that season, and
spent most of 2005 in the near solitude of the trainer's room in Fort
Myers, rehabilitating the knee. Instead of spending the year in the
majors, Kubel was busy doing mundane drills, such as stepping up on and
down off boxes.

Lanning Tucker, the Twins rehabilitation coordinator, was impressed. He
said Kubel never pushed himself too hard during his rehab, never skirted
his duties and didn't need monitoring.

"He was totally compliant," Tucker said.

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan called several times during the year to
make sure Kubel wasn't feeling neglected.

"I wanted to make sure he wasn't out of our thoughts," Ryan said. "I felt
horrible for him, just like I felt horrible for Joe Mauer [after his 2004
knee injury]. It's a tough thing for a young kid, especially your first
serious injury. Hopefully it will be the only one."

Kubel insisted all spring that his knee wasn't a problem. Gardenhire has
noticed a little "hitch" when Kubel runs, but speed never has been a major
asset for him. Kubel's best skills are his bat and strong throwing arm.

Gardenhire wanted to ease Kubel into outfield action this spring, but has
played him regularly in the field since March 7. Some in the organization
felt all along that Kubel was the best candidate for right field among a
group that included Lew Ford and Michael Cuddyer. Others wanted to be
cautious and ease him into regular playing time by starting him at Class
AAA Rochester.

"He's pretty much ready," Gardenhire said. "He's one of our best 25."

Kubel was too competitive to embrace the concept of needing time in the
minors, anyway.

"I've been doing fine out there," he said. "Everything is where it should
be, so we'll see. I hope that's [a stint in the minors] not the case. I
feel like I've been able to prove my knee is fine."

What looked rusty early in spring games was his bat. Kubel was batting in
the low .200's early in camp but recently raised his average to .268 by
smacking line drives all over Southwest Florida.

Physically, he said he feels, "awesome," and his surge at the plate has
brought out a bigger smile in the clubhouse.

"I don't think he's missed too much of a beat with the bat," Gardenhire
said. "He had a little lull there where his bat got a little heavy but
he's come back and is snapping the baseball out pretty good."

Kubel had a nervous grin in the clubhouse Friday because he hadn't been
told that he was on the Opening Day roster. It was just a formality, as
Gardenhire already had informed the media of his decision.

Players sometimes are never told that they've made a team. Some have been
known to sneak on the bus leaving camp for the airport and nervously hope
that they can sneak their way onto the Opening Day roster. Kubel has no
reason to be nervous.

"The hardest part has been all the stress, trying to figure out where I'm
going to go," he said. "Trying to stay within myself and try to do what I
need to do to show somebody something."

He has. And he'll get to show it in Toronto this week.

SEASON OPENERS

Today: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 7:05 p.m. (ESPN2)

Monday: 13 games scheduled

Tuesday: Twins at Toronto, 6:15 p.m. (FSN); Johan Santana vs. Roy Halladay


Last update: April 02, 2006 – 6:29 AM