Knights' Robert hits two towering homers

Luis Robert got plenty of mileage out of his two hits Sunday.
The top White Sox prospect belted a pair of long homers, plating three runs, in Triple-A Charlotte's 8-2 win over Columbus at BB&T Park. It marked his fourth game with two taters this season and his third with the Knights.

The right-handed-hitting center fielder flied to left against rehabbing All-Star Corey Kluber in the first inning. But after No. 4 White Sox prospect Nick Madrigal walked against right-hander Jared Robinson leading off the third, Robert pulverized a homer to left-center that one-hopped the scoreboard. It was his 10th roundtripper in 33 games with the Knights.
MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect struck out in the fourth and flied to left in the sixth before coming up with one out in the eighth against veteran catcher Dioner Navarro. Robert demolished Navarro's 1-2 knuckleball, sending it off the top of the scoreboard in left-center for his 25th homers across three levels this year.

"He's gifted," Charlotte manager Mark Grudzielanek told the media after the game. "He's a unique individual who has all the ability."
The Havana native had been held hitless in his previous 11 at-bats after recording his first four-hit game at Triple-A on Thursday. Despite his .257 average in 15 games this month, the 2019 Futures Game selection has a .306/.358/.639 slash line with 11 homers, 34 runs scored, 28 RBIs and seven steals since his promotion from Double-A Birmingham on July 9.
Grudzielanek had heard a lot about Robert before his arrival in the Queen City, and the former big league infielder said he's lived up to the hype.
Gameday box score 
"The sky is the limit for him," Grudzielanek said. "He just needs reps. He needs time on the field to grow and mature and play."
Robert was named Top Star at the Southern League All-Star Game and batted .314 with 27 extra-base hits -- including eight homes -- 43 runs, 29 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 56 contests with the Barons. The 22-year-old started the season at Class A Advanced Winston-Salem and pounded Carolina League pitching to the tune of a .453 average, eight homers, 24 RBIs and 21 runs scored in only 19 games.

"The tools are there and it's gonna be fun watching him become a big league player for a very long time," Grudzielanek said. "He could be so many things and it's hard to gauge that right now with him. I just look forward to watching him in the future."
Overall, Robert is batting .335 with 66 extra-base hits, 98 runs, 81 RBIs and 36 steals. He leads all Minor Leaguers with 280 total bases and ranks sixth in extra-base hits.
Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Indians, left after one inning for precautionary reasons after experiencing left abdominal tightness, according to MLB.com's Mandy Bell.