Adam Melker caught a 6 a.m. cross-country flight three weeks ago, with a possible life as a firefighter instead of an outfielder waiting for him when he landed.

He prefers what the sudden reprieve his baseball career has gotten instead.

Melker, 26, was batting .309 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI in 18 games with the Arkansas Travelers after going hitless in the first game of Friday night's doubleheader with the Tulsa Drillers, a 4-0 Arkansas loss at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

"I couldn't have asked for anything better," Melker said of his early success, one of the more promising starts in his five-year professional career.

Melker's recent presence in the Travs lineup has brought a boost to a team that has struggled at the plate at times. The Travs' need for an outfielder has provided a boost to Melker's career, too.

In February, Melker reported to Jupiter, Fla., like he had the past four seasons while trying to climb the ranks inside the St. Louis Cardinals organization. A chance for a spot became slim, though, when the Cardinals acquired a few outfielders during the offseason, one being former Traveler Randal Grichuk.

Instead, Melker and Vance Albitz, who also has made his way into the Travs' lineup, stayed in Jupiter for extended spring training and told that if a spot opened up on a minor-league roster they could get a call. After two weeks, nothing opened and Melker and Albitz were each released and given one-way plane tickets back home.

Forced with the reality of life outside of baseball for the first time, Melker considered becoming a Los Angeles firefighter like his father.

"You go from thinking you're going to play to not having a team," Melker said. "And thinking you're going into the real world and getting a job and doing things you've kind of put off while chasing this dream."

Melker got a chance to keep chasing pretty quickly. He said he was in Los Angeles for only a few hours before he got a call from the Angels, who needed a minor-league outfielder. He caught a plane April 20 bound for Springfield, Mo., and that went 4 for 5 with a double, a home run and scored three runs that night.

Since, he's had three hits in a game four times and settled in as the Travs' starting center fielder and lead-off hitter since Kyle Hudson suffered a heel injury last week.

"He's been a spark for us," said Manager Phillip Wellman, who was the hitting coach for Melker and Albitz the past two seasons at Springfield.

Albitz' timeline back to baseball took a bit longer. Albitz was at home in Los Angeles for about two weeks before Travs' shortstop Eric Stamets lacerated a finger while trying to bunt in an April 30 game at Tulsa. Wellman called first, then Bobby Scales, the Angels' director of player development, and Albitz was with the Travs the next day.

"I'm just coming in and doing whatever I can to help their team," Albitz said. "The better I do, the better it is for the team, the better it is for my career.

Wellman said he in confident playing Albitz at any of three infield positions -- shortstop, second base or third base -- despite a .167 batting average.

Neither player has much of an idea as to how the Angels view them as prospects, but they're enjoying their second chance after how close they were to their careers ending a few weeks ago.

"It's crazy," Melker said. "The longer I'm in the game the more stuff I see and how crazy it gets. But, just glad for the opportunity."

Sports on 05/10/2014