Braves sign former All-Star amid rash of injuries
Jul 26, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella (not pictured) hat and glove in the dugout against the San Diego Padres in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Braves are trying to address their injury situation by signing a former three-time All-Star to bolster their positional depth.
Veteran utility man Whit Merrifield is signing with the Braves, according to multiple reports. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Merrifield got a major league deal to join the Braves.
Superutilityman Whit Merrifield and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a major league deal, sources tell ESPN. Merrifield was released recently by Philadelphia. He’ll join the Braves today and help provide depth after the injury to All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 22, 2024
The Braves desperately need the help, even though Merrifield has not performed well this season. They are already missing Ronald Acuna Jr. for the rest of the season. They suffered another significant loss over the weekend.
Merrifield will probably garner significant playing time just because of how thin the Braves are at the moment.
The Phillies were hailed for adding Merrifield during the offseason, but the move simply did not work out for them. At the time of his release, he was hitting just .199 with a .572 OPS this season. He was an All-Star as recently as last year, so the Braves are hoping he can find even a little bit of his old form.
