Dustin Fowler
Introduction
Dustin Ryan Fowler (born December 29, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Yankees.
Career
Fowler attended West Laurens High School in Dexter, Georgia. The New York Yankees selected Fowler in the 18th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Yankees and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees. He played 2014 with the Charleston RiverDogs and 2015 with Charleston and Tampa Yankees. He played in the Arizona Fall League after the 2015 season.
Fowler received a non-roster invitation to spring training in 2016 and played that season with the Trenton Thunder. He was invited to spring training in 2017. He started the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He was ranked as the 98th best prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline at the time of his call-up.
Fowler made his major league debut on June 29, 2017 after a nearly three hour rain delay, with the Yankees facing the Chicago White Sox on the road. During the first inning, he ran into a rail while chasing a fly ball, hitting his knee on a sharp edge of an electrical box. He collapsed to the ground and was carted off the field, before being diagnosed with a open rupture of the right patellar tendon. He was ruled out for the season. He underwent surgery that night at Rush University Medical Center. Fowler would have led off the next inning for his first major league plate appearance.
On July 31, 2017, the Yankees traded Fowler to the Oakland Athletics, along with fellow prospects Jorge Mateo and James Kaprielian, for Sonny Gray.