Luzardo made his big-league debut Wednesday, allowing a run on one hit over three innings of relief while striking out two to record his first career hold in a 5-3 win over the Astros.
Oakland's top pitching prospect served up a solo shot to Martin Maldonado in his first inning of work, but Luzardo settled down nicely after that and provided a strong bridge to closer Liam Hendriks, popping 97 mph with his fastball and mixing in a slider and changeup. Luzardo will continue to pitch in relief down the stretch, likely in high-leverage spots as the A's try to secure a wild-card berth, but his future lies in the rotation -- the young lefty could be the club's ace as soon as next summer.