The Dodgers are trying to be careful with Christian Zazueta's prized right arm, which was on display Saturday for Double-A Tulsa.
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The club's top-ranked pitching prospect and the No. 36 prospect overall in MLB struck out six across four scoreless innings in the Drillers' 6-2 loss to Arkansas at ONEOK Field.
The start came after Zazueta's short stay on the developmental list, a move that was made to help manage the 21-year-old's innings. On Saturday, he was relieved after just 71 pitches. However, it was his second straight scoreless outing, and in those starts, he has combined for four hits allowed and 14 K's over 10 innings.
The development list was instituted in 2021 to help Major League organizations monitor Minor League prospects’ usage and development. It’s often implemented to help limit a pitcher’s pitch or innings count, while allowing them to stay with their team, watch and continue learning.
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Armed with a plus fastball and a plus curveball along with multiple versions of a mid-80s slider, Zazueta has racked up 119 strikeouts through 82 2/3 innings this year. His 36.7% strikeout rate is the third highest among all pitchers with at least 80 innings under their belt. However, since that innings count is already about 15 frames more than last season and about 10 innings more than his single-season career high (71 in 2024), the Dodgers are making sure they don't overwork him.
Zazueta wasn't the only Dodgers' prospect doing good work down on the farm Saturday. Infielder Kellon Lindsey, the team's No. 13 prospect, tripled and homered in Single-A Ontario's 9-1 win over Rancho Cucamonga. The triple was a part of seven-run first inning for the Tower Buzzers. That knock and Lindsey's seventh home run of the season a few innings later both came against two-time All-Star left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is on a rehab assignment for the Angels.
A 2024 first-round Draft pick, Lindsey has homered in consecutive games and is slashing .302/.426/.538 in 49 games split between Single-A and Rookie Ball this year.