Jason James Kubel (born May 25, 1982 in Belle
Fourche, South Dakota) is a professional baseball
player who plays in the outfield for the Minnesota
Twins. He bats left and throws right. His ability to
hit for average while maintaining plate discipline
could make him a middle of the order type of hitter.
He is also well known for his strong arm, typically
from right field. Although he did well in a
September call-up in 2004, he suffered a serious
knee injury in the Arizona Fall League in 2004,
which caused him to miss the entire 2005 season.
Kubel returned to action in spring training 2006,
made the Twins opening day roster, and started in
right field on opening day. However, he got off to a
slow start at the plate and was optioned to AAA
Rochester on April 16, 2006. Kubel returned to the
Twins lineup on May 23, 2006 as a replacement for
the injured Shannon Stewart. He hit well in his
return, including a game-winning, walk-off grand
slam in the 12th inning against the Boston Red Sox
on June 13, 2006. Since then continued soreness in
his knees limited his playing time and success for
the rest of the 2006 season. His 2007 statistics
showed improvements, playing 128 games with 418
at-bats. On July 6, 2007, Kubel drove in a career
high seven runs in a 20-14 victory over the Chicago
White Sox
Jason Kubel played at Highland High School in
Palmdale, California.
