Giants promote Beede for first MLB start

The Giants have deemed their top pitching prospect ready for the big lights by the bay.
San Francisco is calling up No. 4 prospect and 2014 first-rounder Tyler Beede to make his first Major League start Tuesday night against the D-backs, the club officially announced earlier in the day. There had been reports that Beede would make his first appearance Wednesday, but that was moved up when Johnny Cueto needed an extra day to recover from an ankle issue.

Tweet from @SFGiants: Welcome to the big leagues, Tyler Beede! See you on the mound at @ATTPark TONIGHT. @tylerbeede | #Homegrown | #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/VDlmLWUnzc
Beede made one start at Class A Advanced San Jose before making the jump to Majors, allowing just one earned run on one hit and three walks while fanning four in five innings last Thursday. He was only assigned to the California League because of weather concerns with Triple-A Sacramento's opening series in Tacoma. 
A former top-100 prospect, the 24-year-old right-hander posted a 4.79 ERA with 83 strikeouts and 39 walks in 109 innings at the Minors' highest level last season. A groin injury kept him from pitching after July 19, and he made up for the lost time with a trip to the Arizona Fall League, where he posted a 4.50 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 16 frames. Despite the rough results, he was added to the 40-man roster in November as protection from the Rule 5 Draft.
Beede has the stuff to work in the back end of a Major League rotation. His fastball sits in the lower-90s but can occasionally touch higher. His changeup has the potential to be above-average, and MLB.com gives average grades to his cutter and curve. Now fully healthy, he could move into the No. 5 spot in the Giants rotation for the long haul should he look more like his 2016 self, when he posted a 2.81 ERA in 24 starts at Double-A Richmond.
In other Major League debut news Tuesday, the Mets called up No. 16 prospect Corey Oswalt from Triple-A Las Vegas while the Reds purchased the contract of No. 29 prospect Tanner Rainey. Oswalt will provide bullpen depth for New York, though he was the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2017 after posting a 2.28 ERA in 24 starts at Double-A Binghamton. Rainey, who throws an upper-90s fastball and impressive breaking ball, will work out of the bullpen in Cincinnati.