The Colorado Rockies will purchase the contract of right-handed pitcher Jon Gray and start him on Tuesday at home against the Seattle Mariners, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding.
Gray, the top Rockies prospect according to our last set of PuRPs rankings, got off to a rough start this season at Triple-A Albuquerque but has done enough lately to earn the promotion. The 23-year-old Oklahoma native owns a 3.17 ERA in 96⅔ innings spanning 17 starts since the beginning of May after being torched for 21 earned runs in 17⅔ April frames.
Gray had a 10-start stretch in May and June in which his ERA was in the mid 2.00s. He had another brief rough patch right before the Triple-A All-Star break but has regained his dominant form. And though he's dealt with some efficiency issues, Gray has stepped up his strikeout ability as of late, whiffing 72 batters in 61 innings since June 1.
Regardless of his inconsistencies in other areas, Gray has maintained a solid number in one area. The 2013 first-round draft pick has limited walks to the tune of right around three per nine innings. That's not a great number, but compared to what we've seen from Rockies pitchers at both the major and minor league levels, it's pretty darn good -- and is perhaps reason No. 1-A (alongside financial purposes) why they've finally decided to bring him up to the majors.
We will have much more on this in the coming hours and days.