The elbow injury that cut Jesus Luzardo’s senior season short did not deter the Washington Nationals from selecting the Douglas left-hander in Friday’s MLB draft.
Luzardo, who tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm in March, four starts into the season, and underwent Tommy John surgery, was selected in the third round by the Nats with the 94th overall pick.
“My mom was crying, so I was hugging her, my dad — just a lot of love. It’s a blessing to be drafted,” Luzardo said. “[The Nationals] have a great organization. I’ve heard a lot of great things. They’re great with Tommy John rehab guys, so I can’t wait to rehab with them and hopefully make it to the majors.”
The University of Miami signee believes he will sign a pro contract with Washington in the coming days as he expects them to offer signifcantly more than the $635,800 that is the allotted slot value for the 94th pick. The Nationals have a bonus pool of $7,635,500 they can offer their selections in the first 10 rounds without facing penalties.
If Luzardo opts to play for the Hurricanes, he will not be draft-eligible until after his junior year.
Luzardo was the first Broward County prospect chosen in this year’s draft. He watched the selection show from home with his parents, sister, girlfriend and godmother, as well as his grandparents, who flew in from Venezuela this week for the draft and for his graduation Monday.
Luzardo went 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 31 strikeouts before tearing his UCL on March 1. While sidelined, he maintained a leadership role with the Eagles as they capped a 27-2 season with their first state championship.
Luzardo is 11 weeks into rehabilitation from the surgery and can start throwing after 16 weeks.
Luzardo’s fastball, before undergoing Tommy John, was clocked at 97 mph. He considers his out pitch his curveball, which is 78-80 mph, and can work in a circle change at 80-82 along with a two-seam fastball.
dfurones@tribpub.com / @DavidFurones90
