Pitcher Ariel Jurado promoted to RoughRiders
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (July 22, 2016) - The Texas Rangers announced Friday that right-handed pitcher Ariel Jurado has been promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders from Class A-Advanced High Desert. Jurado is not on the active roster yet but is scheduled to start for the RoughRiders Monday in Midland at 6:30 p.m.
Jurado, 20, made 16 starts with the Mavericks, going 7-2 with a 3.86 ERA. In 79 1/3 innings, he allowed 83 hits and 24 walks, while recording 71 strikeouts. At the time of promotion, Jurado was eighth on the California League leaderboard in ERA. His ERA also ranks fourth among Rangers full-season starting pitchers.
Last season with Class-A Hickory, he went 12-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 22 appearances (15 starts), finishing tied for second on the South Atlantic League leaderboard in wins. His ERA would have ranked fourth if he qualified. He was named Baseball America Class-A All-Star and South Atlantic Mid-Season All-Star and won Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year last year.
The right-handed hurler out of Panama is currently ranked the 12th-best prospect in the Rangers farm system by MLBPipeline.com. Baseball America ranked him 19th at the beginning of the season.
The Rangers signed Jurado out of his native Panama as a non-drafted free agent on December 14, 2012 as a 16-year-old.
The Riders continue a four-game series in Corpus Christi tonight at 7:05 p.m. Live coverage can be heard on the Frisco RoughRiders Radio Network, on the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App with the Dr Pepper Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m.
The RoughRiders return home to Dr Pepper Ballpark for a seven-game homestand against the San Antonio Missions and the Midland RockHounds beginning Thursday, July 28. The homestand is highlighted by Ghostbusters Tribute Night on Friday, July 29. On Saturday, July 30, the RoughRiders host Faith Night and will give away Bull Moose bobbleheads. The homestand also includes Back to School Night with a Back to School Backpack Giveaway on Sunday, July 31. Tickets for the upcoming homestand and other remaining home games are available online at RidersBaseball.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (972) 731-9200, or in-person at the RoughRiders box office.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 11 seasons (2005-2015). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju. The new ownership group, together with the city of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements over the past two seasons, investing over $7 million in wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including the new state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store, and the newest and biggest creation, the 174-foot Choctaw Lazy River. The improvements made prior to the 2015 season earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and C.J. Wilson as well as current Rangers stars Derek Holland, Rougned Odor, and Mitch Moreland. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Nathan Barnett at (972) 334-1976 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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