Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes vs Charleton 5.26
Published on May 26, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
LHP Jordan Woods has been promoted to the Quad Cities River Bandits
RHP Max Martin has been promoted to the Quad Cities River Bandits
RHP Luis Valdez has been placed on the Fireflies active roster
RHP Hunter Alberini has been placed on the Fireflies active roster
Alberini will wear jersey #23. Valdez will wear jersey #21.
The Fireflies active roster now sits at 29.
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Tonight the Fireflies kick-off a new series with the Charleston RiverDogs at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Shane Van Dam (1-3, 5.40 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Charleston counters with RHP Riley Stanford (1-0, 4.86 ERA).
Tonight is a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday where fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite at concession stands. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES BOUNCE BACK TO SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER IN AUGUSTA: The Fireflies held on late in game two to earn a doubleheader split with the Augusta GreenJackets Sunday at SRP Park. Columbia lost game one 2-1 and won game two 8-5. Game One The Fireflies dropped game one of Sunday's doubleheader 2-1 to the Augusta GreenJackets at SRP Park. Columbia had six hits in the loss while Augusta scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Augusta took the lead for good in the sixth. Juan Mateo singled and then later scored from first on a Michael Martinez single to center field after Sean Gamble bobbled the ball to make it 2-1. Game Two The Fireflies held on to beat the Augusta GreenJackets 8-5 in game two of the doubleheader. Columbia added insurance in the seventh inning. Josh Hammond worked a leadoff walk before Yandel Ricardo hit a two-run homer to right field to make it 7-3. Later in the inning, Stone Russell singled and later scored on a Jhosmmel Zue single to extend the lead 8-3.
STERLING STARTERS: The Fireflies starting rotation has the second-best ERA in Minor League Baseball this season. The group has recorded a 4-9 record combined with a 2.89 ERA over 183.2 innings through the first 45 games of the season. Fireflies starters have 195 strikeouts and have held opponents to a .214 AVG on the season. The Lakeland Flying Tigers currently have the best starting ERA in Minor League Baseball. They have a 2.88 ERA through their first 137.2 innings pitched on the season. Each of the top four rotation ERAs in Minor League Baseball belong to a team in Single-A.
LUMINOUS LOMBARDI: Michael Lombardi has been a master of the strikeout this season. Sunday, he etched five punchouts across four innings. Lombardi has the most strikeouts (56) in the Carolina League over 34.2 innings of work. Charleston's Aidan Cremarosa also has 56 punchouts this season. Prior to being called up Monday, Fireflies lefty Jordan Woods sat in the three spot with 54 strikeouts this season. Lombardi has the sixth-best K/9 rate in Minor League Baseball among pitchers with at least 30 innings this seasona (14.54). Kiefer Lord leads the way at 15.66.
ONE RUN, NO FUN: Sunday, the Fireflies lost by a single run for the third time at Augusta. This season, the Fireflies are 5-13 in one-run games. That means just over 40% of Columbia's games have been decided by a single score. Last season the club played 48 one-run contests and finished 25-23 in those games.
BRINGING ON BROOKS: Catcher Brooks Bryan is riding the Carolina League's longest active on-base streak. Bryan has reached in 19-consecutive games since April 24. It's the second-longest active on-base streak for the Fireflies this season behind JC Vanek, who reached in 20-consecutive games. The Alabama native is hitting .333 on the run and has slapped five doubles to help drive in nine RBI. Bryan has walked an additional 11 times to drive his on-base percentage to .436.
RUMBLING RUSSELL: Stone Russell is in his second season as a super utility player for the Fireflies. The infielder has played third, second and first so far this season. Russell hasn't committed an error in 36 games on the infield this season. That mark is the longest streak for any player in the Carolina League.
BRINGING IT BACK HOME: The Fireflies return to Segra Park tonight where they are 10-8.
Carolina League Stories from May 26, 2026
- Rain-Filled Evening Goes for Howlers - Hill City Howlers
- Lovich's Four Hit Night Not Enough, Pelicans Grounded by Warbirds 4-1 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Ballers Offense Does Just Enough in 3-1 Series Opening Win over Augusta Tuesday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Delmarva Pitching Strikes out 20 in Win over Fredericksburg - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Lovich's Four Hit Night Not Enough, Pelicans Grounded by Warbirds 4-1 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Season High in Strikeouts Plagues FredNats, Shorebirds Take Series Opener 5-3 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- GreenJacket Bats Silenced in Loss to Cannon Ballers - Augusta GreenJackets
- Tucker's Two-Run Homer Lifts RidgeYaks Past Crawdads in Rain-Shortened Win - Salem RidgeYaks
- Renz Mows Down Myrtle Beach in Series Opener - Wilson Warbirds
- Fireflies Rained out May 26, 2026 vs RiverDogs - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes vs Charleton 5.26 - Columbia Fireflies
- Ebel Selected Carolina League Player of the Week - Wilson Warbirds
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