HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Kyle Cody, a right-hander who has been red-hot for the Hickory Crawdads, has earned a promotion.
CODY
Cody, who ranks in the top 10 in ERA (2.83, seventh), strikeouts (101, fifth) and opponents’ batting average (.218, fifth) in the South Atlantic League (SAL), was sent to the Down East Wood Ducks on Tuesday by the Texas Rangers.
The Wood Ducks, who play in Kinston, are a Class A Advanced team. Cody is the seventh player the Rangers have sent from Hickory to Kinston this season.
Cody made his first start with Down East on Tuesday night in Kinston against Wilmington, gaining a win in the Wood Ducks’ 11-3 victory. He pitched five innings, giving up seven hits, three runs (all earned), walking two and striking out six after throwing 88 pitches (58 for strikes).
Down East improved to 46-68 by winning.
Cody, 22, was a sixth-round selection by Texas in the 2016 draft and played college baseball at Kentucky.
While with the Crawdads, he earned SAL Pitcher of the Week honors for a performance on June 17 (eight innings, no earned runs, one hit, one walk, eight strikeouts).
Since that start, Cody has been dominant, allowing only four earned runs on 21 hits in 43 2/3 innings. He walked 13 and struck out 58 in that span, good for an ERA of 0.83 and a 12.1 strikeouts -per-nine-innings ratio.
A native of Chippewa Falls, Wisc., Cody allowed just four home runs while pitching for Hickory. He struck out a career-best 11 in his final Crawdads start on July 30.
The other players promoted from Hickory to the Wood Ducks this season are Tyler Ferguson, Jonathan Hernandez, Preston Scott, Yanio Perez, Ti’Quan Forbes and Carlos Garay.