22 David Fletcher 3B

Fletcher is expected to play "just about any position except first base and catcher" this season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Fletcher played all or part of at least 20 games at four different positions last season, often making in-game defensive position switches. He logged the most time at third base and second base, though his playing time at those spots is likely to be cut down dramatically this season with the signing of Anthony Rendon and the return to health of Tommy La Stella. While Fletcher did not see time in center field in 2019, he played the position for the first time in spring training and could make some appearances there in 2020 if needed. Per Bollinger, Angels manager Joe Maddon views Fletcher as "a Ben Zobrist-type player who can play in both the infield and outfield without any issues." That should enable Maddon to get Fletcher's bat -- and elite contact skills --into the lineup on a near-everyday basis.

Fletcher played center field "for the first time in his life" Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Fletcher has been getting reps in the outfield with the hope that expanding his defensive versatility will better allow the Angels to get his bat into the lineup. Fletcher ranked among baseball's best contact hitters last season, but the acquisition of Anthony Rendon and return of Tommy La Stella figure to significantly cut down the playing time he sees as an infielder in 2020.

Fletcher could experience increased playing time in right field this season according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

With the Angels' offseason addition of Anthony Rendon and the return of Tommy La Stella, it is likely that Fletcher will be required to play the outfield more often. "The challenge is that I like Fletcher on the field as much as possible. The fact that David is versatile to play different positions is going to matter," said manager Joe Maddon. Right fielder Brian Goodwin hits left-handed but has reverse splits, with a significantly higher career OPS against southpaws compared to righties, so it's possible Fletcher begins the year in a platoon role alongside Goodwin. The 25-year-old will look to build upon a productive .290/.350/.384 slashline with 83 runs scored in 653 plate appearances in 2019.

Fletcher went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in a win over Oakland on Tuesday.

Fletcher's trio of singles accounted for his third three-hit performance in his last six games. The Angels' leadoff man is finishing his second season in emphatic fashion, batting .341 (28-for-82) while scoring 12 runs over 20 games in September.

Fletcher went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Saturday's 8-4 win over the Astros.

After going 0-for-8 in the prior two games, Fletcher bounced back with his ninth multi-hit performance in 18 games this month. The 25-year-old is slashing .329/.388/.370 in September, although Saturday's solo shot was his first extra-base hit of the bunch, as he caps off a solid first full season in the majors.

Fletcher went 3-for-5 and scored a run in Wednesday's victory over the Yankees.

Fletcher picked up a trio of singles to register his third multi-hit game in September. The 25-year-old continues to reach base at a steady clip as he has posted a .418 OBP this month and ranks 23rd in the American League with a .353 OBP for the season. He also holds the second-lowest strikeout rate in baseball at 9.2 percent.

Fletcher recorded a pair of base hits across four at-bats Tuesday in the Angels' 8-0 loss to the Indians.

Fletcher accounted for half of the Angels' hits in the loss and has opened the series against Cleveland with back-to-back two-hit games. The leadoff man is batting .280 since the All-Star break but hasn't offered much help in the counting-stats categories, logging 31 runs, 14 RBI, three steals and no home runs in the second half.

Fletcher went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Rangers.

The infielder is thriving in the leadoff spot for the Angels. Fletcher has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, slashing a blistering .386/.438/.523 over that stretch while crossing the plate 12 times. He's made minimal contributions in other fantasy categories (just five homers and eight steals over 122 games on the year), but he could be a valuable source of runs down the stretch.

Fletcher went 2-for-5 with a triple and a run scored in Friday's 7-2 loss to the White Sox.

Fletcher's best batting of the night came in the third inning, when he tripled off White Sox starter Lucas Giolito then scored on an infield single by Shohei Ohtani. Fletcher's other hit was a leadoff single in the first inning. The versatile infielder is 11-for-25 with five runs scored and three RBI over his last six games, with five of those hits going for extra bases. The 25-year-old is up to .287/.345/.402 with five homers, four triples and eight steals this year.

Fletcher went 4-for-4 with a double and a walk while scoring three times in a loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Fletcher doubled to lead off the game and came around to score the Angels' first run, then went on to produce three singles and a walk while scoring twice more in the contest. The performance snapped a cold spell in which Fletcher hit .132 (7-for-53) over 13 games. The 25-year-old is slashing .284/.343/.392 in 463 plate appearances this season.

Fletcher is not in the lineup Monday against the Pirates.

Fletcher has started all 28 games since the All-Star break, slashing .231/.279/.322 with zero home runs, three stolen bases and nine RBI during that stretch. He'll give way to Luis Rengifo at second base in this one, while Wilfredo Tovar starts at shortstop.

Fletcher will lead off and play shortstop Saturday against the Indians.

Fletcher was originally stationed on the bench, but he was a late addition to the lineup in place of Andrelton Simmons (undisclosed).

Fletcher is not in Saturday's lineup against the Indians.

He is hitting .262/.340/.333 with zero home runs and two steals in 42 at-bats over his last 10 games. Luis Rengifo will start at second base and lead off.

Fletcher went 4-for-5 with three RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles.

Fletcher provided a go-ahead two-run double in the second inning that gave the Angels a 4-2 lead. Fletcher added an RBI single in the ninth inning as the Halos tried to rally one more time, and he stole second base while representing the winning run, but the comeback push failed when Justin Upton popped out. Fletcher is hitting .298/.360/.415 with 36 RBI, 55 runs scored and eight stolen bases over 100 games this season.

Fletcher went 2-for-5 with the go-ahead RBI single, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Mariners.

Fletcher's sixth stolen base of the year came in the first inning after he got aboard with a single. He then poked another single to ignite a four-run ninth inning by scoring Kole Calhoun for what would be the game-winning run. The infielder is hitting .293/.355/.414 with 52 runs scored, 33 RBI and five homers on the year.

Fletcher will start at shortstop and bat leadoff Sunday against the Mariners, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Fletcher will draw his 15th start of the season at shortstop while the Angels' normal option at the position, Andrelton Simmons, receives the day off. Whether he's been deployed in left field, shortstop, second base or third base this season, Fletcher has displayed an elite hit tool, batting .302 while striking out in only 27 of his 340 plate appearances (7.9 percent). Fletcher has been especially dialed in lately, riding a four-game multi-hit streak into the series finale.

Fletcher went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a walk and two runs Sunday in the Angels' 11-10 loss to the Astros in 10 innings.

Fletcher will carry a five-game hitting streak into the All-Star break and boosted his season line to an impressive .295/.359/.409 after reaching base four times in the series finale in Houston. With Tommy La Stella (lower leg) likely on the shelf until September, Fletcher, who led off the past two days, may be on track to serve as the Angels' full-time table setter for the foreseeable future.

Fletcher went 1-for-4 with a double, two walks and three runs Tuesday in the Angels' 9-4 win over the Rangers.

The Angels' main leadoff man versus left-handed pitching, Fletcher once again got the job while slotting in atop the lineup. Fletcher's place in the starting nine is less secure when right-handers are on the mound for the opposition, though there could be regular room for both him and Luis Rengifo if the shin injury Tommy La Stella suffered Tuesday necessitates a trip to the 10-day injured list.

Fletcher is not in the lineup Thursday against the Athletics.

Fletcher will retreat to the bench after starting the past 12 games and slashing .234/.302/.298 with one home run and a 5:6 BB:K during that stretch. In his place, Luis Rengifo is starting at the keystone and hitting eighth.

Fletcher went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs and two RBI in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Cardinals.

Fletcher has managed just one extra-base hit over his last 17 games, but his stellar contact skills have aided him to a .293 average for the season. The Los Angeles infield is set to get more crowded soon with Andrelton Simmons (ankle) nearing a return from the injured list, but Luis Rengifo looks more likely than Fletcher to lose out on an everyday role as a result.