Colorado Rockies top pitching prospect and 2009 first round selection Tyler Matzek finally returned to the mound last night for the Asheville Tourists after a month long hiatus from the team to work with his high school pitching instructor.
It was a big moment for the Rockies' future, as they allowed Matzek to take this extremely unusual step in hopes he would get his career back on track after a dismal 2011 campaign.
The results? 4.0 IP, 6 K, 5 BB, 2 H, 0 ER -- and would have been in line for the win if not for a strict pitch count.
Matzek threw his first scoreless outing of the season and was generally impressive. The five walks show there is still some control work to be done, but by all accounts he was dominant with three pitches and showed some confidence on the mound for the first time this year.
It was just one game, but a giant hurdle for the organization. Matzek survived the biggest start of his young career with confidence and flashes of dominance. Now he must prepare for the new biggest start of his career -- in five days.