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Rays prospect Brendan McKay being promoted to Triple-A Durham

McKay’s dominant showing at Double-A Montgomery has the 2017 draft pick one step from the majors.
 
Brendan McKay has been on target pretty much all season. [Times photo 2019]
Brendan McKay has been on target pretty much all season. [Times photo 2019]
Published May 24, 2019|Updated May 24, 2019

After another dominant performance for Double-A Montgomery, lefty Brendan McKay was told Thursday night he is being promoted to Triple-A, and will make his first start for Durham on Tuesday.

McKay, 23, on Wednesday threw six shutout innings, running his scoreless streak to 20, and struck out nine to give him 62 Ks in 41 2/3 innings, and only nine walks. Overall he 3-0, 1.30 in eight games.

Of note, he pitched behind an opener for the first time Wednesday, perhaps a test to see how he handled the strategy employed at the big-league level.

McKay, is the top healthy pitching prospect in the organization (with Brent Honeywell still working back from spring 2018 Tommy John surgery), and still working on being a two-way player, though sporting only a .167 average with two extra-base hits and a .448 OPS.