Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 6.17 at Carolina
CarL Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 6.17 at Carolina

June 17, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


The Kansas City Royals have made the following changes affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:

* RHP Blake Wolters has been placed on the injured list retroactive to June 16.

There are no corresponding moves. The Fireflies active roster sits at 29.

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Columbia opens a six-game set with the Carolina Mudcats tonight at 6:30 pm at Five County Stadium. LHP Jordan Woods (2-3, 5.59 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Carolina counters with RHP Jayden Dubanewicz (0-0, 3.60 ERA).

The Fireflies are in first in the South Division with three games remaining in the first half. The Fireflies magic number to clinch the franchise's first playoff berth is two.

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GONZALEZ STEALS HOME, FIREFLIES WIN 3-2: The Columbia Fireflies used Asbel Gonzalez's steal of home to beat the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3-2 in Sunday's series finale at Segra Park. Columbia maintained their position atop the South Division standings with three games left in the half. Asbel Gonzalez set the tone for Columbia Sunday. The centerfielder reached on a lead-off walk. He moved to second on a wild pitch and got to third after a Colton Becker ground out. With two strikes and two outs, Gonzalez stole home to score the first run of the game without a hit. It was the second time this season that Columbia stole home against Kannapolis and the first time that the Fireflies stole home at Segra Park. The bats added another in the third. Derlin Figueroa laced a two-out double down the right field line then came around on a Hyungchan Um single to left to double Columbia's advantage.

MAGIC NUMBER COUNTING: The Fireflies are in first place in the South Division with three games remaining in the first half. Columbia owns the tiebreaker against Kannapolis and Hickory, but both Augusta and Charleston own the tiebreaker against the Fireflies. That means that Columbia's magic number for Augusta and Charleston is two and the magic number to eliminate Hickory is one. In other words, if the Fireflies win vs Carolina Tuesday and Kannapolis beats Charleston and Lynchburg beats Augusta, then the Fireflies will clinch their first playoff berth in franchise history.

SWIPING HOME: Sunday Asbel Gonzalez became the second Fireflies player to steal home in 2025. He joins Giullianno Allende who did it at Atrium Health Ballpark May 23. Prior to 2025, there's only one Fireflies player who has stolen home--Lizandro Rodriguez who did so June 4, 2023 at Grainger Stadium against the Down East Wood Ducks.

MASTER OF THE MISS: Friday night, Yunior Marte continued his solid start to the 2025 campaign. The 6'5" righty spun his third quality start of the year. He ranks among the Carolina League Leaders in most significant pitching statistics including ERA (6th, 2.83), strikeouts (4th, 45), innings pitched (1st, 47.2), opposing average (4th, .200) and WHIP (4th, 1.05). In his first full-season in the Carolina League, Marte has looked the part as Columbia's ace. Thursday he was awarded the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month Award for May. Marte began the month on a 15.1 innings scoreless stretch and paced the circuit in ERA over the course of May.

STRONG START: Among the 15 teen pitchers in the Carolina League, lefty David Shields has the third-lowest ERA (2.11) after his first six starts. He has the highest K% in the group (29.9%), has the fifth-lowest opposing batting average (.154), has the 2nd-lowest WHIP (0.98) and the second-lowest BB% (5.7%). Shields has spun 21.1 innings across his first six starts in the Carolina League to a tune of a 2.11 ERA.

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: Sunday, Asbel Gonzalez stole home to earn his 46th steal of 2025. Gonzalez is within striking distance of Tyler Tolbert's single-season steals record of 49 from 2021. Tolbert had 49 steals in 51 tries across 80 games in Columbia. Gonzalez is second in the Carolina League to Tommy Hawke, who has 60 saves this season. Gonzalez also has a chance to break the Fireflies career steals record. Jean Ramirez had 68 steals from 2021-23 with the Fireflies. Columbia's center fielder isn't far from the single-season franchise runs scored record either. Eric Torres set the mark with 70 runs scored last year. Gonzalez has scored 47 runs three games prior to the season's half-way point.

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics



Carolina League Stories from June 17, 2025


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