Former Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher is currently in the process of reinventing himself as a starting pitcher, and that second act began Wednesday when he made his first minor league start on the mound for the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers.
Fletcher, who throws a rather impressive knuckleball, impressed on the mound on Wednesday up against the Norfolk Tides, the Baltimore Orioles' minor league affiliate that boasts a collection of top talent.
Among the batters he faced was baseball's top prospect Jackson Holliday, who is back in the minors after a rough introduction to the major leagues earlier this year. Fletcher managed to fool the young shortstop, striking him out with a nasty knuckleball that left Holliday shaking his head.
David Fletcher struck out Jackson Holliday pic.twitter.com/2sKNjhM29j
Holliday has been one of the best hitters at the Triple-A level this season, but Fletcher's off-speed stuff had him bamboozled at the plate during the third inning on Wednesday.
That was just one of the six strikeouts Fletcher racked up in his minor-league pitching debut, during which his knuckleball featured prominently.
Fletcher, who signed with the Braves during the offseason, featured in five games for Atlanta in the majors this season but will now look to get back to the bigs by toeing the rubber, rather than manning the infield.
KARL RASMUSSEN
