Braves DFA Veteran Slugger, Recall Intriguing Infield Prospect

Tellez, 31, signed a minor league contract with the Braves a week before Opening Day. He began the season at Triple-A, batting .259/.367/.483 with eight home runs and 33 RBI over 49 games. On June 10, Atlanta selected his contract to the active roster.

During his time with Atlanta, Tellez appeared in just seven games. The left-handed slugger was used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter, going 2-for-10 with a home run and four RBI.

With Matt Olson at first base and Dominic Smith taking the majority of reps at DH, there was little opportunity for Tellez to seize a larger role with the Braves. The club will now look for a trade partner before attempting to pass him through waivers. Tellez has played for six teams in nine big league seasons, posting a .737 OPS with 123 home runs in 783 career games.

Jarvis, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Braves’ No. 29 prospect, is back for his second stint in the majors. The 25-year-old infielder debuted during Atlanta’s West Coast trip in early May, making two starts while going 1-for-5 with a single and two strikeouts.

In 76 Triple-A games this season, Jarvis has produced a .313/.406/.461 slash line with six home runs, 36 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. He gives Atlanta more speed off the bench and additional coverage at shortstop behind Mauricio Dubón, Jorge Mateo and the struggling Ha-Seong Kim.

According toMLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Jarvis will be the Braves’ starting shortstop for Thursday night’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals . On the mound for St. Louis is Dustin May, who has allowed left-handed hitters to post a .794 OPS against him this season. By comparison, right-handed hitters have a .513 OPS against him.

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Bowman reported that Jarvis’ left-handed bat could be used in similar situations over the rest of the first half. Dubón performs better against right-handed pitching but has been needed to patch up the Braves’ outfield issues. That leaves Mateo (.709 OPS against righties) and Kim (.239 OPS in 82 plate appearances this season) as Jarvis’ primary competition for playing time at shortstop.