Durham, N.C. — The Miami Marlins have purchased the contract of Lincoln Saltdogs OF Dexter Kjerstad, the American Association announced on Friday.
Kjerstad made an immediate impact after joining the Amarillo Thunderheads in July, hitting .300 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI and nine doubles. Despite playing in just 45 of his team’s 100 games, he finished third on the team in homers and second with six triples. The Amarillo, Texas, native was traded to Lincoln in November 2015.
Previously, Kjerstad spent a season and a half in the Kansas City Royals’ organization, reaching as high as Single-A. He was signed as a nondrafted free agent by Kansas City out of Louisiana-Lafayette, where earned All-Sun Belt honors after leading the conference with a .388 average in 2013.
Kjerstad is the second outfielder who played for Amarillo in 2015 to join a major league organization, joining Drew Heid, whose contract was purchased by Philadelphia in June.
Photo: Dan LeMoal, The Northern Battery.
