The onslaught portion is simply a canvas for Las Vegas Aviators pitcher Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, and each at-bat gives him the accidental to marque an impression.
When his arsenal of a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball are moving right, Zhuang’s palette is unhittable to Pacific Coast League hitters.
“It’s a chess game,” Aviators catcher Bryan Lavastida said. “He tin premix and lucifer each shape, each velocity successful antithetic counts. So it’s amusive to watch.”
Zhuang, the Athletics’ No. 22 imaginable arsenic rated by MLB Pipeline, is arsenic originative disconnected the mound arsenic helium is connected it. The autochthonal of Taipei, Taiwan — known arsenic “Z-Man” — enjoys drafting arsenic an outlet erstwhile he’s not pitching.
He keeps an iPad with him, creating creation whenever inspiration strikes. It could beryllium of a daisy, a country from his clip with the Chinese Taipei squad astatine the World Baseball Classic, oregon beingness connected the road.
Much similar however Zhuang blocks retired immoderate sound connected the mound, drafting allows him to soundlessness his mind.
“I tin beryllium unsocial and absorption connected drawing, and past determination volition beryllium nary distraction,” Zhuang said done interpreter Vallen Chen. “It’s similar erstwhile I’m pitching connected the mound.”
It’s been a challenging play for Zhuang, who is 2-4 with a 7.57 ERA for the Aviators (61-39). He’s a flyball pitcher playing successful immoderate of the astir unsafe ballparks for that accomplishment set.
After struggling retired of the gross for Las Vegas, Zhuang was demoted to Double-A Midland successful April. That lit a occurrence nether Zhuang, motivating him to get backmost to the Triple-A level. Following a coagulated show for the RockHounds, helium returned to the Aviators successful May and has shown glimpses of his imaginable this clip up.
In June, Zhuang struck retired 18 batters successful 20⅓ innings and had a 4.87 ERA. He had his champion show for the Aviators connected June 23, erstwhile helium fanned six Sacramento River Cats successful 4⅔ innings, giving up 2 hits and nary runs.
“With the atrocious outings, I’ll instrumentality lessons I got from that atrocious outing to marque myself amended for the adjacent one,” Zhuang said done Chen. “I’m gonna absorption connected myself, go better, and past I privation the coaches oregon beforehand bureau to cognize I’m doing my part, and I tin beryllium capable to transportation successful the large leagues.”
If Zhuang gets that call-up, he’d beryllium the 2nd Taiwanese subordinate successful A’s history, pursuing pitcher Wei-Chung Wang successful 2019.
Zhuang was concisely 1 of 2 Taiwanese players successful the Las Vegas rotation earlier No. 5 imaginable Wei-En Lin underwent Tommy John country past month.
“He’s taken a batch of affirmative steps forward,” Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan said. “When you person assurance successful each those pitches, and you person assurance successful the defence down you, and you commencement to consciousness similar you beryllium astatine this level, it abruptly makes the crippled dilatory down a small bit.”
Magdic moving quickly
Four of the Athletics’ 2024 draught picks person already made it to the majors: archetypal baseman Nick Kurtz, pitcher Gage Jump and infielders Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Tommy White. Another — pitcher Ryan Magdic — conscionable made his Triple-A debut.
Magdic, the A’s 14th circular enactment retired of Missouri, fanned 3 batters successful 4⅔ innings for a no-decision successful Friday’s 15-9 triumph implicit the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas. The Canadian southpaw gave up 8 hits, but constricted the harm to 2 runs.
“I thought helium was acceptable for the moment,” Riordan said. “His worldly was good. He has a unsocial transportation that hitters aren’t utilized to, and helium threw strikes with each of his pitches. And that’s each you tin inquire for from anybody coming up from Double-A.”
Magdic has rocketed done the Athletics’ insignificant league system. He started this twelvemonth successful High-A Lansing, past was promoted to Midland connected June 16 and Las Vegas connected Wednesday. Across each 3 levels this year, Magdic is 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA and 65 strikeouts successful 63 innings.
Keuchel launches comeback
In an effort to instrumentality to the large leagues for the archetypal clip since 2024, 13-year seasoned Dallas Keuchel signed a insignificant league declaration with the A’s Saturday and pitched for the Aviators Sunday.
The 2015 American League Cy Young Award victor had immoderate rust to sound disconnected successful Sunday’s 15-9 nonaccomplishment to El Paso. Keuchel gave up 4 hits and 4 runs (all earned) successful a two-inning start, walking 1 and striking retired two.
While the 38-year-old lefty is gathering up to crippled shape, Riordan said having idiosyncratic with his credentials astir tin assistance the younger Las Vegas pitchers.
“How helium prepares, whether it’s with pregame scouting, his enactment successful the bullpen, his enactment successful the value room, everything’s going to beryllium hopefully watched by the pitching staff,” Riordan said.
Sunday was Keuchel’s archetypal quality since Aug. 16, 2025, for Triple-A Omaha.
Up next
Who: Las Vegas Aviators astatine Oklahoma City Comets
When: Tuesday-Sunday
Where: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Aviators starting pitcher: Tuesday — Braden Nett (1-1, 7.00 ERA)
English (US)·