Injury to Keep Kaup Sidelined

Nathan Kaup has been on fire for the Bakersfield Blaze.

But he has had to cool his heels recently while nursing a pulled groin that might keep him out of the California League-Carolina League all-star game Tuesday at the Hangar in Lancaster.

Kaup, formerly of Camarillo High, has been on the disabled list since June 6. He told the Bakersfield Californian on Friday that he has been instructed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to skip the game.

Kaup, 23, leads the California League with a .369 batting average and .640 slugging percentage.

He is trying to become the second consecutive player from the region to win the league’s batting title, following Terrmel Sledge of the JetHawks, who played at Kennedy and Cal State Northridge.

In May, Kaup was selected the Tampa Bay organization’s player of the month and the Cal League’s batter of the month.

The JetHawks will be represented by third baseman Billy Martin, catcher J.D. Closser, infielder Matt Kata and outfielder Kevan Burns.

Infielder Ryan Hankins (Simi Valley), outfielder Covelli Crisp (Pierce College) and outfielder Danny Phillips (Chatsworth, Northridge) will play for the Carolina League.

Erik Hiljus, formerly of Canyon, has been selected the triple-A Pacific Coast League’s pitcher of the week for the week ending June 10.

In his only start that week, Hiljus (6-5), who plays for the Sacramento River Cats in the Oakland Athletics organization, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Oklahoma before finishing with a two-hitter and eight strikeouts in a 7-0 victory.

Joe Borchard, formerly of Camarillo and the Chicago White Sox’s first-round pick last season, has been selected to play in the double-A Southern League all-star game Wednesday at Tennessee.

Borchard is batting .278 with 13 home runs and 46 runs batted in for the Birmingham Barons.

Two El Camino Real graduates switched places at the rookie level in the Baltimore Orioles organization Friday.

Woody Cliffords was transferred from the Gulf Coast League affiliate to Bluefield in the Appalachian League. Left-handed pitcher Kurt Birkins was moved from Bluefield to the Gulf Coast League.

Second baseman Justin Martin, another El Camino Real graduate, was promoted from Class-A Lynchburg to double-A Altoona by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

John Santor, who played at Highland, and Jamie Shields, formerly of Hart, have been assigned to the short-season New York-Penn League by the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, respectively.