Marte (wrist) heads to DL; Fletcher gets callup
SEATTLE -- The Angels placed infielder Jefry Marte on the 10-day disabled list with a left wrist sprain on Tuesday and called up prospect David Fletcher from Triple-A Salt Lake for his first stint in the Majors. To clear a spot for Fletcher on the 40-man roster, the Angels transferred reliever Blake Wood (Tommy John surgery) to the 60-day disabled list.
Fletcher, a 24-year-old infielder who is ranked the club's No. 21 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has been one of the top hitters in the Pacific Coast League this season, batting .350 with a .953 OPS, six home runs, five triples and 35 RBIs over 58 games. He ranks first in the PCL in hits (89), doubles (25) and runs (55) and third in batting average. A native of Orange, Calif., Fletcher was the Angels' sixth-round Draft pick out of Loyola Marymount in 2015.
"David's come a long way," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He had a great spring for us for a couple years and really put a lot of things together down in Triple-A. He's doing a lot of things well on the baseball field, and hopefully he'll come up here and contribute."
Fletcher is a natural second baseman, but he can also play shortstop and third base. A right-handed hitter, Fletcher could platoon with Luis Valbuena at third and draw playing time against left-handed pitchers. He did not start on Tuesday, but he could be in the lineup to face Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales on Wednesday.
"I think he will definitely get some looks, especially against some left-handed pitching," Scioscia said. "He can play a number of positions, so he can fit in. We'll take a look. We'll just take a look at things and see where he can get an opportunity to get some looks."
Marte hurt his wrist after Dee Gordon ran into his glove at first base on Monday night and is currently sporting a splint. The 26-year-old corner infielder was batting .262 with a .752 OPS and three home runs in a reserve role this season. Scioscia said the Angels won't have a sense of how long Marte will be sidelined until he is re-examined by the club's doctors in Southern California.
Marte is the 11th Angel to land on the disabled list this season, joining Shohei Ohtani (right UCL sprain), Kaleb Cowart (left ankle sprain), Andrelton Simmons (right ankle sprain), Kole Calhoun (right oblique strain), Rene Rivera (right knee inflammation), Keynan Middleton (Tommy John surgery), Wood, JC Ramirez (Tommy John surgery), Matthew Shoemaker (right forearm strain) and Alex Meyer (right labrum surgery).
The Angels also optioned reliever Eduardo Paredes to clear a roster spot for Jaime Barria, who was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake and started against the Mariners on Tuesday.