First baseman Rowdy Tellez has cleared waivers and been sent to Triple-A, according to his MLB.com transaction tracker. The Braves designated Tellez for assignment on Thursday. He has six years of MLB service time, so he can reject the assignment and choose free agency.
Tellez was bumped off the roster in favor of shortstop Jim Jarvis. The rookie is picking up playing time up the middle with Ha-Seong Kim sidelined by a finger injury. Tellez had largely been limited to pinch-hitting duties. He played in 7 games with the Braves, but that only amounted to 11 plate appearances.
While his stay in the majors didn’t last long, the 31-year-old Tellez certainly earned the promotion to the Braves. He posted a 122 wRC+ in 49 games at Triple-A. The veteran popped eight home runs and even chipped in three stolen bases. Tellez was a league-average bat in 112 games split between the Mariners and Rangers last year. He struck out a bit too often and didn’t walk much, but he hit 17 home runs in 312 plate appearances.
Atlanta has been active in the veteran first base/DH market this season. The club added Dominic Smith in the spring. He earned a big-league roster spot and has put together a solid campaign as the primary DH. Tellez came to the organization shortly before Opening Day. He was promoted in early June and spent three weeks with the team. The Braves recently picked up Carlos Santana and signed Andrew McCutchen, who were let go by the Diamondbacks and Rangers, respectively.
Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images
