Lucchesi has been confirmed as Friday's starter against the Brewers, Dennis Lin of The Athletic San Diego reports.
His contract has not been officially purchased, but it will be in advance of his first career start in the big leagues. Lucchesi has only logged 60.1 innings at Double-A and has not pitched at Triple-A, but given the fact that he impressed the big-league coaches this spring and will turn 25 in June, the Padres will give him a chance to prove he belongs in the big-league rotation early this season. There are at least a half dozen better pitching prospects in the Padres' system who will push Lucchesi later this season and in future campaigns, but he will get a head start due to his age and advanced pitchability. He projects as a No. 4 or No. 5 starter long term, but lefties with deceptive deliveries who can locate and sequence can sometimes outperform their scouting reports.