Top A's prospect Luzardo shut down 4-6 weeks

Oakland Athletics pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo will be shut down for four to six weeks because of a strained rotator cuff in his left shoulder, general manager David Forst told reporters.

Luzardo, who is No. 31 overall and the highest-rated prospect for the A's on ESPN Insider Keith Law's list of the top prospects for 2019, was competing for a spot in the A's starting rotation this spring.

A 21-year-old left-hander, Luzardo went 10-5 with a 2.88 ERA in the minors in 2018, striking out 129 in 109 innings.

"It's too bad, coming into form like he did under some pressure and certainly the microscope," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "We found out a lot about him, and unfortunately that will be cut short right now. I don't know that anyone performed better for us this spring. But we know what we have down the road -- it's just going to take a little more time at this point."