When it comes to promoting Chattanooga Lookouts players, the Minnesota Twins sure have a knack for striking when the iron is hot.
Lookouts third baseman Miguel Sano, named Monday as the Southern League’s hitter of the week, was informed Wednesday afternoon that he would be joining the Twins today. Minnesota promoted Lookouts center fielder Byron Buxton last month amid a 10-game hitting streak.
“I think Miguel is a different case than Byron, because if you had taken away Miguel’s elbow injury, he would have already been up there,” Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz said. “Two years ago, if there was a better hitter in the minor leagues – I would have put him up against anybody. It took him some time, but you saw the last two weeks what he did two years ago, and that’s what they were waiting on.
“He’s using the whole field right now and driving the ball all over the place.”
Sano’s promotion followed the advancement Tuesday of Lookouts pitcher Jose Berrios to Triple-A Rochester (N.Y.). Berrios made 15 starts with Chattanooga, going 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA.
The Lookouts were scheduled to open a three-game series Wednesday night with Birmingham at AT&T Field, but the game was postponed due to wet playing conditions. The two teams will play a pair of seven-inning games today, with the first beginning at 5:15.
Significant rain could not dampen the spirits of the Lookouts after Mientkiewicz announced Sano’s promotion in the clubhouse.
“We all went crazy for him and gave him a hug,” first baseman Mike Gonzales said. “It’s what we’re here for, and it’s great to see something like that happen to a great player like that.”
Said Sano: “It doesn’t feel like it’s real. I’ve called like a thousand people in my family.”
Signed by the Twins out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 2009, Sano had his best season in 2013, when he split time between high Single-A Fort Myers (Fla.) and Double-A New Britain (Conn.). He hit a combined .280 with 35 home runs and 103 RBIs.
Sano’s career was sidetracked by Tommy John surgery in March 2014, but he was added to Minnesota’s 40-man roster last November.
Shaking off the rust this spring figured to be a challenge, and it was. Sano hit just .173 in his first 15 games and had 16 strikeouts.
“He’s never been a high-average guy, and it’s hard to put your finger on it,” Mientkiewicz said. “When you’re older and you miss a year, you can be fine, but when you’re young and still trying to figure stuff out, I think it’s really hard. He may have been pressing and trying to do too much, but he finally relaxed and started having some success, and that brought him back to where he was before.”
Sano hit .274 with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs in 66 games with the Lookouts. The 6-foot-4, 264-pounder hit .588 last week and .329 in June, when he had six homers and 17 RBIs.
“I’ve worked on everything,” Sano said. “I tried to hit the ball to right field, to the middle and to left field. I tried to hit the breaking ball. I’ve had a lot of people helping me.”
Buxton scored the winning run in his MLB debut and tripled in his second contest. He played 11 games with the Twins before landing on the 15-day disabled list with a thumb sprain.
When he returns, there will be a very excited former Lookouts teammate awaiting him.
“I’m going to give him a big hug, because he’s my brother,” Sano said. “I’m upset that he’s hurt, but hopefully we’ll be together in the lineup soon. We both want to win, so we will try hard every day.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.