3 Angels players who could return when rosters expand in September and 2 who won't

4) LA Angels infielder David Fletcher will not return when rosters expand in September

This one is tough to write because David Fletcher deserves a roster spot. The Angels have been rostering Andrew Velazquez for almost two months straight now despite him not proving to be worthy of a spot at all. We know he can't hit, and he's taken a huge step back defensively.

David Fletcher isn't necessarily a player I have trust in as a starter long-term or anything, but I do know he's a better baseball player than Velazquez. He can put the ball in play a lot more, and is more reliable defensively.

He hasn't hit much at the MLB level outside of his breakout 2020 season, but he's slashing .338/.390/.424 in AAA Salt Lake with three home runs and 34 RBI. He doesn't have much pop, but there is something to be said about a guy who can at least put up a fight at the dish and try to make something happen.

Fletcher isn't the runner Velazquez is, but he's better in just about every facet of the game. A big reason he's down could be the fact that he's very close to completing five years of service, and if he does reach that mark, he could refuse an outright assignment and hit free agency. Rather than risk paying him to play elsewhere, the Angels have been keeping him in the minors. This, and the fact that he's not on the 40-man makes me think he won't be back.