Mauer unlikely to reach Twins this season

Hot Minnesota prospect playing Double-A ball

Those hoping former Fort Myers Miracle Joe Mauer will be promoted to the majors this season can stop hoping.

Jim Rantz, the Minnesota Twins’ director of minor leagues, said the club will not promote Mauer, hitting .302 at Double-A New Britain through Wednesday, to the Twins later this year.

“Unless there’s some major injuries, we’re not going to do it this year,” Rantz said in a telephone interview from Minnesota.

Mauer, the top pick in the 2001 draft and arguably baseball’s best prospect, began this season in Fort Myers. He hit .335 in 62 games, earning a promotion to the Rock Cats on June 14.

The catcher has continued to hit in New Britain. Through Wednesday’s game, Mauer had 16 hits and seven RBI in 14 games.

Getting promoted from Double-A to the majors isn’t unheard of. Many players make that jump.

While Mauer won’t play for the Twins this season that doesn’t mean the parent club isn’t high on the slugger.

Mauer, who signed a $5.15 million signing bonus, is considered Minnesota’s catcher of the future.

“You know he’s just 20 years old,” Rantz said. “A lot of the guys he’s playing against (in New Britain) are 21 or 22 years old. He’s doing fine.”

The Rock report?

Jesse Crain, who began the year with Fort Myers, was promoted from New Britain to Triple-A Rochester on June 30.

The 22-year-old hard-throwing closer dominated in Double-A. He had nine saves with a 0.69 ERA. Crain allowed just 13 hits and struck out 56 in 39 innings.

Former Miracle closer Beau Kemp was promoted to the Rock Cats on Wednesday to replace Crain.

Kemp had 10 saves in 22 games for Fort Myers.

Jannio Gutierrez will now close games for the Miracle.

In other Rock Cats news:

Through Wednesday, Jim Abbott, who began the year with Fort Myers, was 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA at New Britain and J.D. Durbin, who also started the season with the Miracle, was 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA.

Odds and ends

Naples police shut down Avigayil’s stand because her family didn’t have a city permit to sell lemonade. The action drew local and national headlines.

Avigayil appeared on the “Late Show” on June 24. She will operate a lemonade stand during the game.

• A month ago, Kelly Gulledge was starting for New Britain. Now, he doesn’t have a job.

Gulledge, who was demoted to Fort Myers on June 16, was released by the team Wednesday. The catcher hit .097 in eight games for the Miracle.

Bryan Kennedy was promoted from low-Class A Quad City to replace Gulledge. The catcher hit .296 with five homers and 36 RBI for the River Bandits.

He is the brother of Adam, the Anaheim Angels’ second baseman.

• The Miracle had four players among the top 10 Florida State League hitters through Wednesday, the most in the league.

Mauer, even though he’s no longer with the team, was second. Jason Kubel (.323) and James Tomlin (.315) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Luis Maza (.294) was 10th.

• Major League Baseball will announce its All-Star starting lineups Sunday and it appears former Miracle and current Twins CF Torii Hunter will not be a part of it.

In the latest results Monday, Hunter (702,475 votes) was fourth among outfielders, trailing Boston’s Manny Ramirez (808,529).

Voting ended Wednesday, but MLB won’t release the results until Sunday.