I-Cubs' Alzolay exits perfect outing with lat strain

Adbert Alzolay had retired all 12 batters he faced for Triple-A Iowa, but he would not face another. 
The Cubs' top-ranked prospect was pulled after delivering four perfect innings, striking out three batters, with a Grade 1 lat strain, the team announced. I-Cubs manager Marty Pevey described the injury as "right lat tightness" before the official diagnosis, which came after Iowa's 5-1 loss to New Orleans on Tuesday at Principal Park. 

Gameday box score
Grade 1 strains generally take about two to three weeks to improve. 
"We just finished the game, so he'll be evaluated and then a decision will be made," Pevey said. "I'm sure the organization will make a decision in the next couple of days." 
Before exiting, Alzolay was in the midst of his best start in nearly a month. Since tossing seven scoreless one-hit innings against Omaha on April 30, the right-hander had allowed 17 earned runs over his last four starts. 
Pevey said Alzolay native had been working behind in the count too often lately. That forced him to rely on his fastball, which he was elevating, in hitter's counts. 
"Anytime you elevate, especially in hitter's counts, you've got a chance to get hurt," the manager said. 

But on Tuesday, Alzolay was pounding the bottom of the zone with his fastball and throwing his offspeed pitches for strikes to complement the heater. The Venezuela native began the game by striking out Austin Dean, who has been among the best hitters in the Minors this season. He cruised from there, fanning Tomás Telis to start the second inning. Alzolay recorded his third whiff for the final out of the third, getting Sandy Alcantara swinging. 
"With him, it's all about fastball command," Pevey said. "Everything works off that. Today, he had it. He did a great job." 

The 23-year-old needed nine pitches to set the top of the Baby Cakes' lineup down in order once again in the fourth, but could no longer continue. Alzolay threw 39 of his 60 pitches for strikes, using four ground-ball outs to cruise through the outing.  
"Every time he goes out there, I feel like he's got the opportunity to dominate," Pevey said. "That's how good his stuff is. Today, he looked a lot like his first start and was really pounding the bottom of the zone. It was really impressive."
It's still too early for Pevey to know the level of caution he will have to exercise with Alzolay upon his return. 
"We want to make sure he's healthy, number one," Pevey said. "Strength and flexibility and [pitching coach Rod Nichols] just helping him get to his glove side, that's the starting point. And then work from down to up [in the strike zone]. That's what their focus has been on." 
Alcantara (3-1), the Marlins No. 2 prospect, allowed one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over seven innings. Cito Culver hit a three-run homer and added an RBI single to finish with four RBIs for New Orleans.