The Braves have reinstated Ehire Adrianza from the 60-day injured list and designated the infielder for assignment. Adrianza was initially placed on the 10-day IL due to elbow inflammation at the start of May but then suffered a shoulder strain that has elongated his stay on the IL to almost the entire 2023 campaign.
Adrianza has only appeared in five MLB games during this lost season, though even that small amount of time on Atlanta’s active roster locked in a $1M salary, as per the terms of the minor league contract he signed with the Braves last winter. Adrianza had previously been a part of the Braves championship team in 2021, and after signing a big league free agent deal with the Nationals during the 2021-22 offseason, was subsequently dealt back to Atlanta at the 2022 trade deadline.
After recovering from his injury, Adrianza returned to the field to play in 11 minor league rehab games in September, and thus the Braves had to a make decision about his roster status. Monday’s transaction indicates that Atlanta feels good about its 40-man roster as the playoffs loom, leaving Adrianza as the odd man out in DFA limbo.
Chances are that Adrianza clears waivers and he has more than enough MLB service time to elect free agency in the event of an outright assignment. This means he might opt to get an early jump on the free agent market, or Adrianza could potentially also re-sign with the Braves on a new minor league deal, staying in the organization as an emergency option for a postseason roster spot in the event of injuries.
Known for his multi-positional versatility, Adrianza has appeared in each of the last 11 Major League seasons, playing 616 games with the Twins, Giants, Nationals, and Braves. The switch-hitter has mostly been a bench or part-time option throughout his career, with a slash line of .238/.308/.352 over 1550 plate appearances.
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