Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 4.19.25 at Kannapolis
April 19, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
* C Hyungchan Um has been placed on the 7-day IL retroactive to April 18 * C Gabriel Silva has been added to the active roster
Silva will wear jersey #29.
The active roster currently sits at 30.
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The Fireflies continue their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers tonight at Atrium Health Ballpark at 7 pm. RHP Blake Wolters (1-0, 2.25 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Kannapolis counter with RHP Luis Reyes (0-2, 13.50 ERA).
Columbia closes out the month of April at Segra Park with some can't-miss promotions! The team is home from April 22-May 4 and will host USC Night presented by E.F. Martin April 24, Faith and Family Night presented by United Way of the Midlands April 26, Bluey at the Ballpark presented by South Carolina Department of Social Services May 3 and Star Wars Night presented by Founders Credit Union May 4. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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JONES EARNS FIRST PRO WIN IN 8-7 VICTORY: The Fireflies got their second five-inning start of the season and it was enough to earn a 8-7 win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark. Tanner Jones (W, 1-1) was masterful, spinning five innings of two-run baseball while setting aside six Cannon Ballers via the strikeout. The Fireflies got some much-needed insurance in the seventh. With Jorge Hernandez at third and Ramon Ramirez at second, Brennon McNair mashed a double to the left-center gap to put Columbia in front 8-4.
SPEED, I AM SPEED: Asbel Gonzalez swiped two more bases Friday, adding to his MiLB leading total. The center fielder has 19 stolen bases. The next closest is Jacksonville's Jakob Marsee, who has 14 steals in 18 games. If that weren't enough, Gonzalez is also riding the team's longest hitting streak, a nine-game stretch that began April 8. On the run, he is 18-36 (.500) with 14 stolen bases and nine runs scored. It is the Fireflies longest hitting streak since Derlin Figueroa hit safely in 13-consecutive games from May 12-26, 2024.
BULLISH ON THE PEN: The Fireflies bullpen has been hot to start the 2025 season. After tallying an ERA over seven over the Opening Weekend against the Augusta GreenJackets, relievers have allowed only 16 earned runs in 53.2 innings since April 8. That's good for a 2.68 ERA over the team's last 10 games.
WE'RE ONLY GETTING STARTED: Ramon Ramirez had his second multi-hit game of the season Sunday--this time with a pair of homers. The righty became the second Fireflies player to notch six RBI in a game after hitting a grand slam and a two-run homer in the first three innings against Charleston. He joined Derlin Figueroa who accomplished the feat the previous Sunday at Augusta. Ramirez kept the train rolling with a 3-5 outing Wednesday. He leads the Carolina League with four homers and 15 RBI. The catcher is also riding a five-game extra-base hit streak, which is tied for the third-longest extra-base hit streak in franchise history. Gavin Cross (8/14-8/20/22) and Trevor Werner (8/17-8/23/23) are tied for the record with a six-game streak. Ramirez is hititng .450 on the run with 2 doubles, all four of his homers and 13 RBI. His OPS is 1.670 over the five games.
NO PROBLEM WITH INHERITANCE: Yesterday, Henson Leal stranded the only pair of inherited runners that the bullpen saw. So far this season, Columbia's pen has stranded 19 of 22 runners (86%) they've inherited from the previous pitcher.
BATS BUSINESS IS BOOMING: Columbia is second in the Carolina League in batting average (.263) and is first in stolen bases (47). The Fireflies also have the second-fewest strikeouts in the Carolina League (109). They trail the RiverDogs who have only punched out 106 times this season.
LOVING LEAL: Henson Leal is back for his second season in the Soda City. The righty had a 4.87 ERA in 12 games for Columbia at the end of the 2024 season. This year, he has thrived in his role, spinning 10 innings across five games to the tune of a 0.90 ERA. Leal is holding opponents to a .128 average and has only issued a pair of free passes this year. The righty hasn't had a save opportunity yet this year, but he did earn his first hold of 2025 thanks to 2.1 hitless innings in relief Friday evening.
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Carolina League Stories from April 19, 2025
- Salem Drops Series to Lynchburg After 13-4 Loss Saturday Night - Salem Red Sox
- Five Multi-Hit Games Help Kannapolis Snap Losing Skid Saturday Against Fireflies - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- MLB Pitchers Fuel Fredericksburg's Second Shutout Win of the Season - Fredericksburg Nationals
- FredNats Blank Woodpeckers in Pitchers' Duel - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- FredNats Blank Woodpeckers in Pitchers' Duel - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Fireflies Hit a Pair of Homers in a 14-4 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Pitching Prowess Leads RiverDogs to Series Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- GreenJackets Score Nine Runs Across Two Innings to Sink Pelicans - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Timely Hits Lift Mudcats to Series Win - Carolina Mudcats
- Shorebirds Lose Third Straight to Mudcats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 4.19.25 at Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- Five Errors Loom Over Cannon Ballers In Third Straight Loss To Fireflies - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
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