Bukauskas was promoted Sunday to the Astros' short-season affiliate at Tri-City, MiLB.com reports.
The 15th overall pick was masterful in his lone start with the Astros' rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate, tossing four scoreless frames and striking out three. At 6-foot, Bukauskas lacks the prototyical size associated with most power arms, but he demonstrated plenty of strikeout potential during his collegiate career at North Carolina thanks to a vicious breaking ball and mid-90s fastball. Both offerings looked sharp in his professional debut. It's only expected that Bukauskas will make a few starts with Tri-City before preparing for an assignment to a full-season affiliate in 2018.