Jesus Luzardo is completely broken right now
The Oakland A’s had high hopes for Jesus Luzardo entering this season. After a rollercoaster 2020 campaign, the expectation was that he would take that next step forward, finding the consistency that he had lacked. Some areas had considered him as a dark horse Cy Young candidate this season as he seemed ready to ascend to his expected place as the A’s new ace.
But that did not happen. He continued to be inconsistent to start the season, and then broke his finger while playing video games. When he returned, Luzardo was not even close to being himself, giving up at least one homer in every game before being sent to the minors.
Jesus Luzardo not close to right
The A’s had to hope that it would not take long for Luzardo to find his way back to the majors. He would have a few outings in Triple-A, build his confidence back up, and then return to Oakland, ready to claim his spot on the roster once again. At least, that was the plan.
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Instead, Luzardo has struggled during his time in Las Vegas. His outing on Friday was particularly putrid, as he allowed seven earned runs on six hits and two walks while hitting a batter. He recorded only two outs in that game, both of which were by strikeout. At least he was able to make a couple of batters miss.
But that outing only serves as an example of what his time in the minors has been like. Even before then, he had not displayed the type of dominance that had made him one of the top prospects in the game. Something is clearly wrong, and it goes beyond his injury and needing to reset his confidence.
Maybe everything will work itself out. It is possible that Luzardo puts his horrific showing on Friday behind him, irons out the kinks, and returns to Oakland. But it is equally possible that he needs some time away to clear his head, allowing his mind to get into the proper space so that he can dominate once more.
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It is clear that Jesus Luzardo is not right currently. Hopefully, he can right himself, and get back on track soon.