For the second time this month, the Los Angeles Dodgers have promoted a first round draft pick to Double A. Zach Lee, the Dodgers' first-round pick in 2010, on Monday was promoted from Class A Rancho Cucamonga to the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Lee, 20, was 2-3 with a 4.55 ERA in Class A, but it's important to note those numbers came in the hitter's paradise known as the California League. More importantly, Lee had 52 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 55 1/3 innings in 12 starts with the Quakes.
The Dodgers picked Lee 28th overall in 2010, and lured the two-sport star away from a scholarship to play quarterback at LSU with a franchise record $5.25 million bonus. Lee was rated the Dodgers' top prospect heading into the season by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus.
Lee will join 2011 draft pick Chris Reed, who was promoted from Rancho Cucamonga to Chattanooga on June 3. Reed, 22, was a relief pitcher at Stanford but the Dodgers are converting him to a starting pitcher. Reed has been limited to shortened starts in an attempt to limit his innings, and in four starts with Chattanooga has allowed just two runs in 12 innings, with five walks and nine strikeouts.
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