The Lincoln Saltdogs have re-signed LHP Abdallah Aris along with adding OF Gary Mattis and LHP Brett Winkelmann, the club has announced.
Aris returns for his second season in Lincoln while both Mattis and Winkelmann are playing their first seasons with the Saltdogs.
Aris pitched for the ‘Dogs last year, going 6-4 with a 4.52 ERA in 18 starts. Across 91 and 2/3rd innings, Aris allowed just 83 hits with 77 strikeouts. Aris has spent the winter pitching for Carolina in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he’s 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 14 and 2/3rd innings.
Aris made his debut in the American Association pitching for the traveling Houston Apollos in 2021.
Mattis is playing his first year in the American Association after spending the last two seasons with the Evansville Otters in the Frontier League. Mattis, 25, spent two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks system where he hit .261 across 101 games, eventually reaching Double-A Amarillo for three games in 2022.
Mattis played collegiately at Florida Atlantic and Tennessee Wesleyan.
The ‘Dogs also signed Winkelmann, who was a non-roster invitee to Lincoln’s spring camp in 2023. Winkelmann has experience playing in the Pecos League and pitched collegiately at Emporia State University in Kansas.
The ‘Dogs open the season at Fargo-Moorhead on Friday, May 10th. Lincoln’s home opener is Thursday, May 16th against the Cleburne Railroaders.
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