Hader to make Triple-A debut Sunday

Considering the way Josh Hader handled the Southern League, Pacific Coast League hitters would do well to brace themselves.

Hader, the Brewers' No. 4 prospect was officially promoted from Double-A Biloxi to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Saturday, a day ahead of his PCL debut.

Brewers assistant general manager Matt Arnold announced the move during the Major League club's telecast on Wednesday, the same day the 22-year-old left-hander was named a Southern League All-Star.

That was two nights after Hader matched a season high with eight strikeouts while allowing one run over six innings at Montgomery. That gem made him 2-1 with a league-leading 0.95 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 11 starts. He had not allowed more than two runs or more than one earned run in any of those outings and struck out 73 against 19 walks over 57 innings. The Maryland native held Double-A foes to a .194 batting average and was named Milwaukee's Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May.

"Just being in this league for a little bit, you learn how to pitch a little bit better, mixing your pitches and being able to keep the hitters off-balance," he told MiLB.com after a short but dominant April outing. "That's one of the main things from this league and going up in levels, Triple-A and the big leagues -- you can't let these hitters get too comfortable."

Acquired from the Astros in the Carlos Gomez deal last July, Hader works with a plus fastball, plus slider and an average changeup. He seemed to improve each offering last year in the Arizona Fall League, which he led with a 0.56 ERA, and where MLB.com's Pipeline called him the circuit's best left-handed pitching prospect. While some scouts had pegged him as a future reliever at the beginning of the season, he's shown that he's capable of becoming a strong big league starter.