Former Cleveland Indians infielder Gio Urshela has signed with the Atlanta Braves. At 32, Urshela joins the Braves to temporarily replace star third baseman Austin Riley, who is sidelined for the remainder of the regular season due to a broken hand.
The nine-year MLB veteran signed with the Braves on Tuesday, just two days after being released by the Detroit Tigers, with whom he had signed in February. This season, Urshela batted .243 with five home runs, 37 RBIs, and a .619 OPS in 92 games for the Tigers. He 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. “When you look back, he’s been a very productive major leaguer,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “This is a great opportunity for him, and we’re fortunate to have him available.”
Before joining the Braves and Tigers 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 2019-21, including a standout 2019 season where he hit .314 with 21 home runs, 74 RBIs, and an .889 OPS. Urshela also had a stint with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.
Urshela began his career with Cleveland, signing as an amateur free agent from Colombia at the age of 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.
Throughout his nine-year MLB career, Urshela has maintained a .273 batting average with 69 home runs, 317 RBIs, and a .730 OPS across 756 games.
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