Another highly touted pitching prospect is being called up.
Baltimore Orioles left-hander Cade Povich is set to start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, team manager Brandon Hyde announced Wednesday.
Povich, 24, was originally selected by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the 2021 draft and then traded to Baltimore at the 2022 trade deadline.
He's now the No. 9 prospect in the Orioles system after spending last season splitting time between double-A Bowie and triple-A Norfolk. Povich logged 126.2 innings across 28 starts and put up a 5.04 ERA.
What makes the University of Nebraska product such a tantalizing prospect for Baltimore is his strikeout rate. Povich fanned 171 batters at the lower levels — third most amongst all minor league pitchers — on a 31.1 per cent clip.
When the Orioles traded away Jorge Lopez in the midst of an All-Star season for Povich, along with Yennier Cano and two others, many questioned the decision. But if the big league debutant can make some noise on the mound against the Blue Jays, it'll make the decision look all the better for a 39-21 Baltimore club that's already second place in the AL East.
Povich makes his first MLB start against the Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. He'll hope to help the Orioles bounce back from a 3-2 walk-off loss against Toronto on Wednesday night.
