Just a day after he was called up to make his Major League debut, pitcher Kyle Hurt was optioned down to Triple-A to make room for relief pitcher Joe Kelly returning from injury.

Hurt did everything that the Dodgers could have hoped for and more during his brief time with the team. He retired the six batters that he faced, including striking out the side in the top of the 9^th inning on Tuesday.

While he would have loved to stay with the big league club, he understands how things go for a young pitcher. He just wanted the opportunity to show what he can, and he did just that.

“After watching it play out, I really know that it does play at this level and it’s awesome to see that,” Hurt said before departing the clubhouse Wednesday. “All that work I put in, for that to happen, it’s pretty cool.”

Per The OC Register

Hurt was called up due to his impressive strikeout rate in the minor leagues. He struck out 145 batters over 88.1 innings of work. The young pitcher held an ERA of 3.87 over 25 appearances throughout the minors this season.

“Hurt arrived as advertised as the leader in strikeout rate in all of minor league baseball this season thanks to a dynamic fastball/changeup mix.”

Per Doug Padilla of The OC Register

The former USC Trojans pitcher provided them with some relief late in the game on Tuesday. If anything, he allowed them to save another pitcher from having to work in that spot, and he showed that he could perform well on the stage.

While it was a small sample size, Hurt showcased that his staff translates over to the big-league level. It remains to be seen if he will return to the Dodgers this season, but if he does and continues to play well, there is a small chance that he could make the postseason roster.

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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