3B-1B Domingo Pinto (6/6/7) has been called up to the Kernels roster and will see immediate starts at first, third, and designated hitter, as Des Moines continues to give ML playing time to young players in her system. Pinto, which this rag once described as a "former DM high school drop out & popcorn vender," was drafted less than a year ago in the 2062 amateur draft number 85th overall. The team was waiting for a spell of back tightness to quell before adding him to the Kernels roster, and so fellow prospect Santiago Quintanilla (2061, 5th round), skipped ahead of him to the Piping Hot™ ML roster, where he hit .321 in seven starts, including a game in which he pummeled three doubles against Black Sox pitching.
Pinto was hitting .331 in 31 games at El Paso (1.029 OPS). Coaches say he has improved his longball swing and increased his patience at the plate. The Hounds this season feature an offense that leads the GL with 245 runs scored (6.1 per game!). Fellow Hound and former Kernel, Kevin Thistle, brought back into the DMO at league minimum after not being offered arbitration, was hitting .401 at El Paso and will also get the call up to Des Moines. That leaves El Paso C-3B Terry Pitzer (.296-7-17)—declared "untouchable" by JRamirez—and INF Miguel Salazar (.348-5-24) next in line for promotion. The Turk has been DFA'd.
