Stuart

Fairchild

Chinese Taipei scored its automatic runner with two bunts in the top of the 10th. Korea advanced its to third with one sac bunt, but the runner was thrown out at home on Hyeseong Kim’s non-bunt grounder to first, and Do Yeong Kim flew out to end the game afterwards. Chinese Taipei, which also got homers from Yu Chang and Tsung-Che Cheng, finishes 2-2 in Pool C play to keep itself alive for now. It needs to hope that Korea and Japan both beat Australia, which would result in three 2-2 teams behind Japan in the standings. One of Chinese Taipei, Korea and Australia would then advance by claiming the tiebreaker.

This game ended after seven due to the mercy rule. Chinese Taipei also for four RBI from Yu Chang and three from Chen-Wei Chen for its first win through three games. The club will need to beat Korea on Sunday to have any chance of moving on from pool play.

Fairchild fortifies Cleveland’s outfield depth and will compete for a bench role in spring training. The well-traveled 29-year-old defensive specialist got into 28 games this past season for the Braves, batting .216 (11-for-51) with two steals across 55 plate appearances. He’s gotten into 277 games at the highest level dating back to 2021.

You’d be excused for not knowing any of these players were even on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster; the five pitchers combined to throw 6 1/3 innings for the Rays last season and Fairchild was hurt one day after being acquired from the Braves in July. Faedo, who was acquired from the Tigers in February, ended up missing the entire season with shoulder problems after a rehab assignment in July went badly.

The 29-year-old outfielder has been shelved since mid-July with a right oblique strain. Nothing has changed in his prognosis, as he’s still slowly working his way back, this was merely done as a procedural move to free up a spot on the Rays’ 40-man roster for the promotion of Carson Williams on Thursday.

Well, that was fast. Fairchild was acquired earlier this week from Atlanta in a small trade and winds up hitting the injured list without ever putting on a Rays uniform. No word on the severity of the ailment, which will determine how much time he misses. It’ll likely be a multi-week absence, even in a best-case scenario.

Fairchild gets another opportunity right away in spite of his struggles the last couple of years. Even if one wants to throw out his .216/.273/.333 line in 55 plate appearances for the Braves, given how sparingly he was used, he still had just a 77 OPS+ for the Reds last season. His mark of 89 from 2023 isn’t very good, either. The Rays, who had an opening with Brandon Lowe going on the IL, figure to use him in left or right against lefties.

Fairchild rarely played for Atlanta with both Eli White and Luke Williams on the active roster and able to play the outfield. The team decided it needed another catcher on the active roster now that both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy are in the starting lineup regularly as the catcher and DH.

Harris sits for the second straight game with Stuart Fairchild getting the nod in center field on Tuesday night out in Sacramento. The 24-year-old’s ongoing struggles have continued in recent weeks as he’s hitting .122 (6-for-49) with zero homers and two steals over his last 15 games. He hasn’t homered since June 13. It’s not what you want to see.

Fairchild had been out since May 30 with a dislocated finger. He’ll make the occasional appearance against left-handers, probably mostly as a pinch-hitter. Even with Ronald Acuña Jr. absent, Fairchild had just 36 plate appearances in the Braves’ 50 games before he got hurt.