The Midland RockHounds hold an 18-14 record so far this year, four games out of the division lead in the first-half standings. Their pitching staff has only been middle-of-the-pack, but recently their unexciting rotation got a jolt with the addition of Top 100 prospect Jesus Luzardo.
It only took Luzardo three starts in High-A Stockton before he was called up a couple weeks ago. That’s an extremely rapid rise for a 20-year-old, and unprecedented in the Beane Era, but the lefty is believed to be on an innings count for various good reasons and the team probably wanted to use those limited innings at the most challenging level possible.