Former Smoky Mountain, Western Carolina baseball star Zebby Matthews called up by Twins | Report

Zebby Matthews, a former baseball standout at Smoky Mountain and Western Carolina, earned his major league call-up when the Minnesota Twins promoted him from Triple-A affiliate St. Paul Saints, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday.

The right-hander, who graduated from Smoky Mountain in 2018 after a solid career that included a perfect game, attended Walters State Community College before transferring to Western Carolina, where he excelled over three seasons.

Matthews' promotion comes as the Twins suffered a hit to their pitching depth Friday. Starter Joe Ryan suffered a triceps strain that will leave him out for "weeks to months," according to manager Rocco Baldelli. Reliever Brock Stewart also underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday.

Matthews has risen through the Twins' farm system quickly this season. He started the year at High-A Cedar Rapids, where he went 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA through four starts. He was promoted to Double-A Wichita for 10 games and recorded a 1.95 ERA.

On July 16, Matthews was promoted to St. Paul, where he has not had quite the same success. His record sits at 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA through four starts, though he has struck out 23 batters with only one walk allowed.

Matthews was drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. During three seasons with the Catamounts, Matthews had a 13-9 record with a 3.58 ERA in 36 games. He struck out 211 batters while walking only 30.

Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EvanGerike. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Report: Zebby Matthews, ex-Smoky Mountain baseball star, to join Twins