Andrew Faulkner was starting for Double-A Frisco earlier this year. Now he's pitching for the Texas Rangers in the midst of a pennant race, and he's doing a pretty good job of making a role for himself.
The young lefty has turned into a bit of a left-handed specialist against left-handed hitters, something the Rangers didn't really have before even with lefty Jake Diekman throwing high-90s heat. He's doing so well, in fact, that he very well could find himself on a possible playoff roster when bullpens are put at a higher premium.
Faulkner has faced 15 lefties since his call-up and is allowing a .133 batting average with .383 OPS, which are pretty stellar numbers.
He hasn't pitched in many high-leverage situations, but when he has, he's performed.
"It kind of surprised me, a couple of the spots they put me into," Faulkner told the Dallas Morning News. "But at the same time, it's nice to know they trust me to put me in those spots."
