Former Cleveland Indians infielder Gio Urshela has signed with the Atlanta Braves.
Urshela, 32, has joined the Braves to fill in for star third baseman Austin Riley, who is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after being placed on the injured list with a broken hand.
The nine-year MLB veteran signed with the Braves on Tuesday, just two days after being released by the Detroit Tigers, whom he signed with in February. Urshela batted .243 with five home runs, 37 RBI, and a .619 OPS in 92 games for the Tigers this season.
Urshela made his Braves debut on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, going 0-for-3 with one walk and one RBI. The Braves are currently six games behind the Phillies in the National League East and hold a 2.5-game lead for the final NL wild card spot.
“He’s been a very productive major leaguer,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “This is a great opportunity for him, and we’re fortunate that a player like him was available.”
Before joining Atlanta and Detroit this season, Urshela spent one season each with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 and the Minnesota Twins in 2022. He also played three seasons with the New York Yankees from 2019 to 2021, including a standout year in 2019 when he hit .314 with 21 home runs, 74 RBI, and an .889 OPS. Urshela also had a stint with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.
Urshela began his career in Cleveland after signing out of Colombia as an amateur free agent at age 16 in July 2008. He made his MLB debut for Cleveland on June 9, 2015, and played parts of two seasons in 2015 and 2017 as a third baseman and utility infielder.
Over his nine-year MLB career, Urshela has a career batting average of .273 with 69 home runs, 317 RBI, and a .730 OPS in 756 games.
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