Braves Manage to Re-Sign Key Outfield Depth Piece

The Atlanta Braves were able to lock back down a key piece of their outfield this week. According to his transaction log, they re-signed José Azócar to a minor league contract on Monday. He was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

He was designated for assignment on May 20 when Eli White was activated off the 7-day concussion injured list. He refused his outright assignment to Gwinnett and elected free agency. There was an expectation that he would likely re-sign. But electing free agency gives him the chance to see if there are at least other offers to assess first.

Azócar had done a solid job filling in for both an injured White and Ronald Acuña Jr., who dealt with a hamstring injury for much of this month. He mainly came in as a late-game defensive substitution, but he got to start in two games during his most recent stint in the major leagues.

During his final six games, he batted .417 with a 1.045 OPS, a pair of doubles and a run scored. He also flexed his defense with diving catch during the previous series against Boston in Atlanta.

Keeping that depth around is likely a bit of a relief for this team. They've relied on the bench pretty heavily this year for production, and Azócar is no exception.

"He’s gotten some, you know, some big hits for us - giving us good at-bats," manager Walt Weiss said earlier this month.

For now, he'll see action with the Stripers. He started in left field for them on Tuesday night, going 0-for-4 in his return. The Stripers lost 5-4 to the Nashville Sounds.

Meanwhile, the Braves held off the Boston Red Sox to win 7-6. They resume action Wednesday night with first pitch set for 6:45 p.m.

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