Kansas City Royals Transfer Mertins To Omaha
May 13, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1) News Release
The Kansas City Royals have transferred infielder Kurt Mertins to Triple-A Omaha, their top level affiliate in the Pacific Coast League.
This will be the first Triple-A stint for Mertins, the 24-year old Placentia, CA resident who had been with the Naturals since the start of the 2009 season. Mertins hit .275 with two homers and 57 RBI as the Naturals' primary second baseman last season, but saw time this season at second base, third base, and even some time at shortstop. After a slow start Mertins has been off to a blistering start to May, batting a cool .500 (8-for-16) on the month, lifting his season average to .311 which ranks him amongst the Texas League leaders. Mertins was a 13th round selection of the Royals in the 2006 draft.
To fill Mertins' spot on the roster, versatile infielder Anthony Seratelli rejoins the Naturals from the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Royals' Advanced Class-A affiliate in the Carolina League. The 27-year old Seratelli began the season with the Naturals and had one homer and four RBI in 14 games. He batted .277 with five RBI in 13 games for Wilmington. Seratelli, a Matawan, NJ resident, was acquired by the Royals in February 2007 when they purchased his contract from the Windy City Thunderbolts of the independent Frontier League.
Also, last night, the Kansas City Royals called up right-hander Blake Wood, who spent a portion of both the 2008 and 2009 seasons with the Naturals, up to the big leagues for the first time. The 24-year old Wood, who arrived to Northwest Arkansas in 2008 as a highly regarded starting pitching prospect, struggled for much of his time in the Naturals' rotation but seemed to really find a home in the bullpen late in the Naturals' 2009 season and through the playoffs.
Wood remained a reliever during a stint in the Arizona Fall League last off-season, and also made appearances for the big league club out of the bullpen during Spring Training. He posted a 2-1 record and a 2.16 ERA with five saves in 12 appearances out of the pen for Triple-A Omaha. Wood made his big league debut Wednesday night, pitching a scoreless inning in the Royals' 4-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Seratelli will wear jersey #6 for the Naturals. After the moves, the Naturals' roster remains at the Texas League limit of 24 active players.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state of the art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. You can purchase season tickets and group outings with the Naturals by calling (479) 927-4900.
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