Former Cleveland Indians infielder has signed with the Atlanta Braves. Urshela, 32, was brought in to replace star third baseman Austin Riley, who will miss the remainder of the regular season due to a broken hand. Urshela joined the Braves on Tuesday, just two days after being released by the Detroit Tigers, where he had signed in February. This season, he posted a .243 batting average with five home runs, 37 RBIs, and a .619 OPS over 92 games for the Tigers.
Urshela made his debut with the Braves on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, going 0-for-3 with one walk and one RBI. The Braves, currently trailing the Phillies by six games in the National League East, hold a 2.5-game lead for the final NL wild card spot.
Braves manager Brian Snitker praised Urshela, saying, “He’s been a very productive major leaguer. It’s a great opportunity for him, and we’re fortunate that a player of his caliber was available.” Prior to his time with Atlanta and Detroit this season, Urshela played for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 and the Minnesota Twins in 2022. He also spent three seasons with the New York Yankees from 2019-21, including a standout year in 2019 when 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’s MLB journey began in Cleveland, where he signed as an amateur free agent from Colombia at 16 in July 2008. He made his MLB debut with Cleveland on June 9, 2015, and played parts of two seasons with the team in 2015 and 2017 as a third baseman and utility infielder.
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