Caleb Clay was promoted to the Los Angeles Angels roster Sunday, marking his first-ever major league callup.

The Cullman baseball product was a first-round draft choice by the Boston Red Sox straight out of high school in 2006 and spent stints this year in the Korean Baseball Organization and with the Salt Lake Bees, the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.

Clay was 3-3 at Salt Lake with a 3.78 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. The right-hander was named the Pacific Coast League’s Pitcher of the Week in mid-July after needing just 101 pitches to throw a three-hit, complete-game shutout against Las Vegas, the PCL’s top-scoring team.

Clay underwent Tommy John Surgery in the infant stages of his professional career and mostly struggled in six seasons in the Red Sox farm system. It wasn’t until the fireballer signed a free-agent deal with the Washington Nationals, however, that his massive potential started to shine through.

Clay’s combined 11-5 record and 2.96 ERA in 158 1/3 innings — all career bests — at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Kansas City in 2013 were enough to convince the Angels to ink him to a Triple-A deal in June after a tumultuous six-month stay with the Hanwha Eagles.

Despite logging a lofty 8.32 ERA and 3-4 record in 10 starts overseas, Clay returned stateside with every intention of fulfilling his lifelong dream of earning a big league opportunity.

That dream was realized on Sunday.

“Been waiting on this day for the last 22 years,” Clay tweeted. “So thankful. Gonna soak it up!”

Cullman now has a pair of players on baseball’s biggest stage. Josh Rutledge was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2010 and has spent large chunks of the last three seasons on the organization’s MLB roster. He’s been an everyday starter since superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was placed on the disabled list in late July.

Rutledge is batting .276 with three homers, three triples and 12 doubles in 64 games this year.

Fellow former Bearcats Ben Moore and Chase Mallard took the first steps toward becoming the program’s third and fourth players with major league experience when they were selected on consecutive days in the 2014 MLB amateur draft. Moore went to the Red Sox in the eighth round, while Mallard was snagged by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 14th.

Moore has since been designated to the Gulf Coast League Red Sox (rookie). Mallard didn’t take long to be promoted to the Vancouver Canadians, Toronto’s short-season, Single-A affiliate.

Clay’s callup coincided with Tyler Skaggs’ move to the 60-day DL. Skaggs, a starter, will need Tommy John Surgery and is likely to miss the entirety of the 2015 season.

Clay joins the Angels just in time for the homestretch of a competitive playoff race. Their 68-49 record following Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Red Sox is second in the majors, second in the American League West and first in the AL wild-card standings.

The Angels are off Monday. They’ll host a two-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies starting Tuesday.

Local reaction to Clay’s promotion was swift on social media Sunday afternoon.

“So excited that @CalebClay gets to put on that big league uniform today!” Cullman baseball coach Brent Patterson tweeted. “Praying for all the best! Go Angels.”

Tanner Clay, who came through the Bearcat program as a pitcher himself, was one proud sibling.

“He’s worked hard for this his whole life!” Tanner tweeted. “So blessed to call him my brother.”