DETROIT -- Dominic Fletcher slept through the first few calls on Friday morning.
It was only fitting that the guy who’d spent his entire summer working to create an opportunity for himself missed the memo when it finally arrived. Fletcher was able to chuckle at the irony later that same day, but only because he still received news of his promotion with enough time to pack a bag, hop a flight and make it to Comerica Park a few hours before the White Sox faced the Tigers.
A dash of last-minute chaos didn’t matter a bit to the 28-year-old, who got his first taste of the big leagues in 2025 after a long summer spent with Triple-A Charlotte.
It took Chicago no time at all to feel Fletcher’s impact, with its newest outfielder smacking two leadoff doubles and scoring twice in his season debut. He finished 2-for-4 as the White Sox extended their win streak to a season-best six games with a 7-5 victory over the AL Central leaders.
This is Chicago’s longest win streak since May 2-8, 2022.
“Benny [Andrew Benintendi] got his bomb [a go-ahead solo homer in the sixth], and Fletcher coming up here and getting two nice, big hits for us kind of just gets us rolling,” said Colson Montgomery, who powered the offense with a two-hit, four-RBI game that included his 18th home run of the season. “It’s contagious.”
Fletcher’s promotion was anything but a token September nod. When he landed with Chicago in a trade with Arizona just prior to Spring Training 2024, Fletcher was fresh off a rookie season in which he hit .301 (28-for-93) in 28 games with the D-backs. That success didn’t quite transfer to the AL, though, and he struggled to a .206 average (46-for-223) in ’24 before the White Sox designated him for assignment during Spring Training.
Fletcher eventually cleared waivers and joined the Knights, where he dug back into what made him successful at the plate in the first place: controlling the zone, staying aggressive and taking chances early.
The Triple-A numbers spoke for themselves. Fletcher hit .260 (105-for-404) with 17 homers, 19 doubles, four triples and a team-best 68 RBIs in 105 games with Charlotte to earn his way back onto the White Sox radar.
And with Brooks Baldwin and Mike Tauchman banged up and needing a break -- particularly at the end of a brutal stretch of 17 games in 17 days -- Chicago needed a hand patrolling the outfield.
Both outfielders were given at least the opener in Detroit to rest, with manager Will Venable hinting pregame Friday that Tauchman might be out a game or two longer. That left a lot of grass that needed patrolling at spacious Comerica Park, which led to Fletcher’s phone ringing in North Carolina early Friday morning.
"[Fletcher is] doing a nice job at the plate," Venable said. "... He's one of those guys that's been around and you can trust to get the job done. [We're] excited that he's here to kind of help us stabilize now for a little bit."
Fletcher’s Chicago teammates were thrilled to welcome him back. Most of the White Sox who were in the clubhouse when Fletcher came through the doors took turns coming over with hugs, back slaps and smiles. He was stopped several times in the hallway outside, too, with players and coaches alike offering words of encouragement.
“There are definitely a lot of familiar faces from last year, and even a bunch of guys that were in Charlotte this year,” Fletcher said. “It's great to see all these guys, and it's been really fun to watch lately.”
Fletcher doesn’t know how long his window of opportunity will remain open. But what matters to him is that it’s open now. And he’s wide awake and ready to make the most of it.
“It's great [to have an opportunity],” Fletcher said. “I feel like I put in a lot of work in the offseason and throughout this whole year, grinding over there in Charlotte, and it's cool to get an opportunity here this year.”