SL1 Birmingham Barons

White Sox INF Jeff Keppinger Joins Barons on Rehab Assignment

Published on May 2, 2014 under Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release


Birmingham, AL - The Birmingham Barons and Chicago White Sox have announced that INF Jeff Keppinger has joined the Barons on a rehab assignment and will play third base when the Barons take on the Mobile BayBears at Regions Field tonight. Keppinger is recovering from shoulder surgery that took place on September 26th, 2013.

Keppinger, 34, was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth round of the June 2001 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Georgia where he hit .380 during a three-year career and helped lead the Bulldogs to a berth in the 2001 College World Series.

Over a nine-year major league career, Keppinger has hit .282 (814-for-2828) with 45 home runs, 139 doubles, 10 triples, 324 runs scored and 295 RBI in 818 games. Over that span, Keppinger has played for seven different teams: New York Mets (2004), Kansas City Royals (2006), Cincinnati Reds (2007-08), Houston Astros (2009-11), San Francisco Giants (2011), Tampa Bay Rays (2012) and Chicago White Sox (2013-present). He signed a 3-year contract with the White Sox prior to the2013 season and hit .253 (107-for-423) in 117 with the club before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

Keppinger has been one of the most difficult players to strike out over the course of his career, having never struck out more than 41 times during a single major-league season and ranking second among active players with an average of 14.75 plate appearances per strikeout. He has been the hardest player to strike out in his league four times including three-straight seasons from 2010-2012 (2008, 2010-12) and has finished with more RBI than strikeouts seven times.

He enjoyed a career-year in 2012 while with Tampa Bay, hitting .325 in 115 games including an AL-best .376 against left-handers. His .325 would have ranked third in the American League but he fell 84 plate appearances short of qualifying for the batting title.

The length of Keppinger's rehab assignment has yet to be determined. He will wear jersey number 6 during his time with the Barons.

The 2014 Barons season is in full swing at Regions Field. For ticket information, game schedule, promotions calendar or for additional information about Regions Field, call(205) 988-3200 or visit www.barons.com, www.facebook.com/birminghambarons or on Twitter: @bhambarons.

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