Jesus Luzardo was dominant on the mound in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 7-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday.
Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo strong in Spring Training debut
Per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Luzardo stifled the Red Sox in his first taste of Spring Training action:
“Jesus Luzardo retired the only six batters he faced in two scoreless innings today in his Phillies spring training debut. Fastball touched 97.7 mph. Struck out two batters swinging on changeups,” Zolecki wrote.
Luzardo will be major part of Phillies’ rotation in 2025
The notable start is a major plus for Luzardo and the Phillies. The six-year MLB veteran was limited to 12 starts in 2024 due to hampering elbow and back injuries.
Luzardo’s fastball on Friday exceeded his 95.1 mph velocity from 2024. It also topped his career-high 96.7 mph fastball from 2023. That’s a telltale indicator that his stuff has not left him after fighting infirmities dating back to 2022.
Philadelphia will be counting on their $6.22 million starter to give them top-shelf production behind ace Zack Wheeler and All-Stars Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez next time out. So far, Luzardo is off to a great start in his tune-up games heading into the regular season.
