Outfielder José Azocar elected free company after clearing outright waivers, in response to the MLB.com transaction tracker. The Braves had designated him for project on Wednesday after they referred to as up rookie infielder Jim Jarvis.
Azocar signed a minor league cope with Atlanta shortly earlier than the New 12 months. It was his second stint within the group after he’d spent a pair weeks on the MLB bench final season. Azocar solely performed in two video games final 12 months. He started this season at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .270/.348/.420 with a pair of dwelling runs in 113 plate appearances.
Atlanta referred to as Azocar up final week when Ronald Acuña Jr. landed on the injured checklist. He began Sunday’s recreation in proper discipline and went hitless in two at-bats. He got here off the bench as a pinch-runner a day later and stole a base. That was the extent of this 12 months’s MLB stint.
Azocar has now appeared in components of 5 huge league seasons. He’s a .243/.288/.318 hitter over 420 profession journeys, most of which got here throughout his first two seasons (2021-22) with the Padres. The 29-year-old (30 subsequent week) carries a .276/.321/.416 line over components of six Triple-A campaigns. He’s an excellent runner who can play anyplace within the outfield. Azocar ought to signal a minor league contract someplace within the coming days, and a return to Atlanta would hardly be a shock.
