CHICAGO — Kade Morris, a 2020 graduate of Pitman High School and a top pitching prospect for the Athletics organization, was called up from Triple-A this week, a move that was first reported by the Turlock Journal on Sunday. The roster move was made official on Tuesday when Morris joined the A’s at Wrigley Field before the start of a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Morris spent Tuesday’s game, a 2-1 win for the Athletics, in the bullpen behind Wrigley’s famed ivy-covered outfield walls. He did not enter, which means he is still waiting to become just the second Pride alumnus to appear in Major League Baseball behind fellow right-hander Bradin Hagens, who appeared in two games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay left the door open for Morris to make his highly anticipated debut in any of the three games this series. He floated the idea of inserting him in relief if the right situation presented itself on Tuesday. He also mentioned Morris as being an option to serve as the starter in Thursday’s series finale in the Windy City.

“I think he's throwing the ball well. He's a pitcher that pitches with a lot of emotion,” Kotsay said prior to Tuesday's game. “I'm sure when he steps on that mound for the first time, there's going to be a lot of energy, a lot of excitement.”

MLB Pipeline ranks Morris as the No. 12 overall prospect and the fifth-best hurler in the A‘s farm system. He has spent the entire season at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has achieved a 5-3 record with a 4.45 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 60.2 innings over 11 starts.

Morris was all smiles in the visitor’s clubhouse on Tuesday as a No. 67 jersey was hung in his locker. He then ran out to right field to stretch and warm up his arm with a football before participating in a long toss alongside his new teammates.

Morris’ promotion drew excitement from those in and around the A’s clubhouse. Of them was Turlock native Tyler Soderstrom.

“Both of us being from the same small town, Turlock, it's probably the first time its ever happened,” Soderstrom said. “It’s super rare and definitely one of those crazy ‘small world’ things.

“I’m super excited for him. I haven't had a whole lot of time to sit down and watch, but I know he’s ready to go. I just say to enjoy it as best as you can. It's a great opportunity for him to really take it all in, and it’s a great place to do it for the first time in Wrigley Field. Have fun, and I’ll hold it down in left field for him.”

Kotsay and others also couldn’t recall another instance of players from the same hometown being teammates in the major leagues.

Veteran catcher Shea Langeliers is also looking forward to working with Morris on a more regular basis. The two went over strategy, and also worked together in bullpen sessions this past spring training.

“I think the stuff is real,” said Langeliers. “The pitch mix is really good (four-seam fastball, sinker, slider/sweeper, curveball and changeup). I know he's got the keys and he’s got the confidence. In terms of personality, he kind of expects a lot of himself, which is a great thing. Expectations are high. Everybody gets excited when they get up to the big leagues and try to do a little too much, so I’ll just remind them to keep things up, do what you do well, go out there and compete.”

Dallas Braden, the current A’s television commentator and former pitcher that never lacked emotion, sees a lot of himself in the 23-year-old Morris.

“What I love about him is the understanding of what he's trying to do, what he's trying to accomplish each and every time he puts a baseball in his hand, and that starts from his warm-up routine to catch to the minute he gets on the mound,” Braden said. “He has diagrammed what he's looking to achieve, and to have young guys have that good of a feel or understanding of what they're trying to do in their work is a really good sign, not only of I think coachability, but a guy who has processed the craft to an extent where he knows what he needs to work on, knows what he does well, and is in a position on a daily basis to grow and polish at the same time, and that's rare.

“I think something that I had to learn, and I'm sure he'll have that same growing process, is how to harness that emotion and how to channel it. There's only so much that you can put in, in terms of emotion. You are going to have to learn how to channel that positively, because at this level, it's a rare breed that can go out and just ‘out-stuff’ the opposition. Yes, you need a combination of the stuff — which he has — and the understanding of how to deploy it — which he also has. I think he's done a great job of just kind of taking things as they've come, and I think it's always a good sign when somebody is pissed off when things don't go well. You're human, yeah, and you should allow that to continue to be a motivating factor. What makes you the professional that he will continue to become is his ability to process it and then apply it in a positive way.”

The A’s and Cubs will be back at it again Wednesday and Thursday, with both games slated for a 5:05 p.m. PST first pitch.