Royals Acquire Second Baseman Jeff Keppinger
Keppinger, 25, will be assigned to Omaha (AAA) after hitting .297 (94-317) with 13 doubles, two homers and 25 RBI for Norfolk (AAA) this season. He has drawn 27 walks and struck out just 21 times for a .349 on-base percentage. For his minor league career, he has drawn 150 walks, while striking out just 116 times.
Keppinger made his Major League debut with the Mets in 2004, hitting .284 (33-116) with 2 doubles and 3 home runs in 33 games for the Mets. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth round of the 2001 draft and was acquired by the Mets as part of the three-way trade between the Pirates and Royals that included Justin Huber on July 30, 2004.
A native of Miami, Fla., Keppinger missed the second half of the 2005 season with a fractured left tibia after a collision at second base. Before the injury, he was leading the International League with 86 hits. He finished the season with a .337 average in 64 games and also turned in a .989 fielding percentage, committing just 3 errors in 273 total chances.
He was named the MVP of the Eastern League All-Star Game and was also named to the postseason All-Star team after hitting .334 (108-323) for Altoona (AA).
He was drafted by the Pirates after a standout career at the University of Georgia where he hit a combined .380 during his three-year career. As a junior he hit .389 with 18 homers and 73 RBI, leading UGA to the College World Series. He was a second-team All-America selection by Baseball America following the 2001 season and was a First Team Freshman All-American after hitting .383 with 11 homers and 48 RBI in 55 games. He and his wife, Morgan, reside in Auburn, Ga.
Gotay was hitting .264 (89-337) with 16 doubles and 9 homers in 87 games for Omaha this season. He has a .242 (105-434) average in 130 Major League games.
For more information contact the Media Relations Department at 816-921-8000 or visit www.royals.com.