Utah Utes in MLB | Week of Sept. 6–12
When Lane Thomas went down with an intercostal strain during batting practice ahead of Atlanta's Thursday matchup against the Rays, the Braves turned to a familiar face from the minors. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., the former Utah Utes outfielder, was recalled to fill the void — and he wasted no time making a case to stick around.
Keirsey scored in back-to-back games against the Phillies to open the series, giving the Braves an immediate return on the call-up. On Saturday, Sept. 12, he went 1-for-1 with a run scored in Atlanta's 12–2 rout of Philadelphia. The day prior, he again crossed the plate in a game that was still in progress at time of reporting. For a player whose grip on a big-league roster can disappear as quickly as it arrives, two productive appearances in two nights is exactly the kind of audition that extends a stay.
Thomas had been a regular piece of Atlanta's outfield picture before the injury struck him out of nowhere — a batting practice mishap that sent him to the IL with a strain that offers little timeline certainty. Brewer Hicklen covered in the short term, but it was Keirsey who received the formal recall to claim Thomas's roster spot. The opportunity is real, and the early returns suggest Keirsey is treating it accordingly.
Elsewhere in the org: Dunn outrighted in Tampa
The week brought less encouraging news for Oliver Dunn. The Utah-product infielder, who had been with the Rays organization, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A after Tampa Bay selected the contract of Nick Madrigal to replace the injured Taylor Walls. Dunn's path back to the majors now runs through Triple-A, where he'll need to force his way back onto a 40-man consideration. It's a roster-crunch reality that many fringe prospects face in September, but the outrighting removes the immediate safety net of waivers as a leverage point.
No other Utah alumni saw notable action across the league during the week. C.J. Cron (Red Sox), Cam Day (Dodgers), Andre Jackson (Pirates), Core Jackson (Yankees), and Kai Roberts (Padres) did not surface in the reporting period.
The week belonged to Keirsey — a Utah alum who turned a teammate's misfortune into his own opportunity and, through two games at least, delivered. Whether he can hold the spot until Thomas returns is the question worth watching as September baseball tightens its grip on the standings.
AI-generated summary
