Alzolay struck out six and walked two in seven innings of one-hit ball Monday for Triple-A Iowa to record the win over Omaha.

EDGE Analysis

The Cubs purposefully delayed Alzolay's start to the minor-league season in order to limit his innings count, and the decision has seemingly paid dividends based on how dominant the 23-year-old has looked over his first three outings. Alzolay has turned in a shiny 2.12 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in those contests, with Monday's start representing his best to date. Alzolay isn't expected to receive an extended look as a starter with the Cubs this season if all of the team's current rotation members stay healthy and perform up to expectations, but the right-hander could make a major impact out of the bullpen in the second half. His fastball already routinely sits in the mid-90s as a starter, making it conceivable that Alzolay might pick up a couple ticks of velocity while making max-effort relief appearances.