Fowler announced his retirement from baseball Tuesday.
Injuries conspired to sabotage the tail end of Fowler's career, as he last saw action in the majors in April of 2021, when he suffered a torn ACL. The 36-year-old had a fine 14-year run, though, finishing with a .775 OPS, 127 home runs and 149 stolen bases for five teams. Fowler made the All-Star team and won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016.
... See More... See Less
Dexter Fowler: Elects free agency
Rotowire
Fowler requested and was granted his release from the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.
Fowler signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays in late March while in the final stages of his recovery from a torn ACL. He joined Triple-A Buffalo once healthy but evidently didn't see a path to a major-league roster spot, as he'll search for other opportunities after appearing in just three games.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Dexter Fowler: Activated at Triple-A Buffalo
Rotowire
Fowler (knee) was activated by Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Fowler continued his recovery from a torn ACL early in the 2022 season and will make his season debut at Buffalo on Thursday. The 36-year-old should be in the mix to provide outfield depth for the Blue Jays at some point this year now that he's back to full health.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Dexter Fowler: Playing in simulated games
Rotowire
Fowler (knee) has begun playing in simulated games at the Blue Jays' player development site, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Fowler served as a non-roster invitee for Toronto this spring but didn't participate in many activities while he continued to recover from the torn ACL that he sustained in April 2021. However, he's been able to increase his activity level recently and will now work on building up to game speed. Once Fowler completes his progression, he'll likely report to Triple-A Buffalo.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Dexter Fowler: Signs MiLB deal with Toronto
Rotowire
Fowler (knee) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The contract includes an invitation to big-league spring training, where Fowler will look to impress during what's left of camp to earn a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster as a reserve outfielder. Fowler was limited to just seven games with the Angels in 2021, after his season ended in April when he suffered an ACL tear. The 36-year-old might not yet be fully healthy, so Fowler could stay behind at the Blue Jays' spring training facility in Florida to continue his rehab program once the team heads north for the start of the regular season. In his last relatively full season in 2019, the 36-year-old produced a career-high 19 home runs and 67 RBI while slashing .238/.346/.409 across 150 games with the Cardinals.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Ahead of schedule
Rotowire
Fowler (knee) said Friday that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Fowler suffered a torn ACL in mid-April and has been recovering near his home for the past few months, but he'll now continue his rehab while traveling with the Angels. The 35-year-old said he could be back to full health by mid-October, which bodes well for his status for spring training 2022. Fowler also isn't considering retirement following his injury.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
Fowler (knee) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The 35-year-old has already been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL, so it was only a matter of time before he moved to the 60-day IL. Fowler will undergo surgery sometime in the near future and will face a 6-to-9-month recovery. Jon Jay had his contract selected from the taxi squad with Justin Upton dealing with back stiffness and Juan Lagares (calf) also on the injured list.
The Angels announced Sunday that Fowler suffered an ACL tear in his left knee after exiting Friday's 7-1 win over the Blue Jays, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. He's expected to undergo season-ending surgery at a later date.
Initially diagnosed with a left knee contusion, Fowler's injury was later clarified as a sprain when the Angels placed him on the 10-day injured list Saturday. Follow-up tests apparently revealed ligament damage, which will require a procedure that will sideline Fowler for around 6-to-9 months. In addition to spelling an end to Fowler's season, the injury could also end the 35-year-old's time as an everyday payer in the majors. Los Angeles will have Juan Lagares fill in for Fowler in right field in Sunday's series finale with the Blue Jays, but expect the Angels to eventually add competition at the position.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Placed on 10-day injured list
Rotowire
Fowler was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee sprain Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Fowler wasn't expected to require a trip to the injured list after he was carted off the field, but he'll miss at least 10 days after he was diagnosed with a left knee sprain. Juan Lagares should start in right field against left-handed pitchers in Fowler absence, but manager Joe Maddon said that Jose Rojas and Jared Walsh could also see time in right field, Ardaya reports.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Not in Saturday's lineup
Rotowire
Fowler (knee) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.
Fowler was diagnosed with a left knee contusion after he was carted off the field in Friday's win over the Blue Jays, but he isn't expected to require an IL stint. Juan Lagares is starting in right field Saturday, batting ninth.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Not expected to miss much time
Rotowire
Angels manager Joe Maddon said Friday that he doesn't think Fowler (knee) will need to go on the injured list, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Fowler had to be carted off the field in the second inning of Friday's win over the Blue Jays, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury. Fowler should be considered day-to-day, and Juan Lagares could fill in as the right fielder if Fowler is held out of the lineup in the coming days.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Diagnosed with left knee contusion
Rotowire
Fowler was diagnosed with a left knee contusion after exiting Friday's game against the Blue Jays.
Fowler had to be carted off the field in the second inning of Friday's matchup after going awkwardly into second base. His initial diagnosis didn't appear to reveal any structural damage, but it's not clear whether Fowler will be forced to miss any additional time.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Carted off field
Rotowire
Fowler was carted off the field with an apparent left leg injury in the second inning of Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Fowler went down after going awkwardly into second base in the second inning against Toronto. Trainers appeared to be examining his left leg, and Fowler had to be helped to the cart that took him off the field. The exact nature and severity of the injury aren't yet known.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Swipes bag Thursday
Rotowire
Fowler went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run in Thursday's victory over Toronto.
Fowler's legs played a key role in helping the Angels tie the game in the seventh inning. He reached base on an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a Shohei Ohtani single. At 35 years of age, Fowler isn't the speedster he was earlier in his career, but he's a skilled enough baserunner to still swipe the occasional bag.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Day off Tuesday
Rotowire
Fowler is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Astros.
Fowler started the first three games in right field but has since sat for two of the last three. Jared Walsh moves out to the position for the first time this year in his absence, with Albert Pujols starting at first base.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Projected as everyday starter
Rotowire
Fowler is slated to be the Angels' starting right fielder this season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Fowler came over from the Cardinals in a February trade, and the Angels intend to have him hold down the right-field position until top prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh are ready to permanently join the big-league outfield. Fowler is hitting just .167 (3-for-18) in Cactus League play, but his starting job appears to be secure.
... See More... See Less
Angels' Dexter Fowler: Headed to Angels
Rotowire
Fowler was traded to the Angels on Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Fowler has spent the last four seasons in St. Louis, but will now head to the fifth franchise of his career. Entering his age-35 season, Fowler has been inconsistent with his production at the plate in recent campaigns and has also not registered as a strong fielder according to most defensive metrics. Even so, he should offer a stabilizing presence in the Angels' outfield and projects to start in right field to begin the 2021 season.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Dexter Fowler: Singles in return to action
Rotowire
Fowler (not injury related) returned to the lineup in Monday's loss to the Royals and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
The veteran outfielder had been sidelined on the COVID-19 injured list since Sept. 2 while taking potentially immunosuppressive medication for a stomach ailment. Now back to full health, Fowler should remain in his starting right field spot for the final week of the regular season as the Cardinals make a push for a postseason spot.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Dexter Fowler: Activated from COVID-19 IL
Rotowire
Fowler (not injury related) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Monday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Fowler has been shut down for the past three weeks while completing a medication regimen for a stomach ailment that would have put him at a higher risk for COVID-19. However, he'll now rejoin the active roster with just under a week remaining in the regular season. The 34-year-old should reclaim his role as the starting right fielder for the Cardinals as they compete for a playoff spot.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Dexter Fowler: Joining club in Kansas City
Rotowire
Fowler, who remains on the COVID-19 injured list, announced Sunday via his personal Instagram account that he's driving to Kansas City to meet the Cardinals ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Royals.
Fowler hasn't appeared in game for the Cardinals since Sept. 1, as the outfielder has been shut down for the past three weeks while completing a medication regimen for a stomach ailment that would have made him more vulnerable than most players to COVID-19, if he were to contract the virus. The 34-year-old has apparently responded well to resuming baseball activities within the past week, and the fact that he's traveling with the big club suggests he could be activated before the end of the regular season. The Cardinals would need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Fowler in order for him to play, but the team could easily do that by transferring Dakota Hudson (forearm) -- who is unlikely to pitch again in 2020 -- to the 45-day injured list.
