Veteran catcher Sandy Leon has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Braves, per his MLB.com transaction tracker. Atlanta designated Leon for assignment after adding Joey Bart in a trade with the Pirates. Leon has more than enough service time to reject the assignment, though he may choose to stick with the organization as a depth option.
The 37-year-old Leon has spent parts of the past two big-league campaigns with the Braves. He played five games with the club last season. Leon was outrighted multiple times in 2025, but returned to the Atlanta organization in each instance. The Braves are Leon’s seventh team in his 14-year MLB career.
Leon was released from Gwinnett in late April. He landed with the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League before coming back to the Braves on a major league agreement. Atlanta needed a backup for Drake Baldwin after Sean Murphy broke a finger in early May. Baldwin himself went down with an oblique injury a week after Leon joined the club. The veteran earned semi-regular reps alongside fellow backups Chadwick Tromp and Austin Wynns.
Never known for his bat, Leon hit .091 over 21 games. He actually picked up hits in each of his first two games with Atlanta, then went three weeks without a base knock. Leon provided solid work with the glove. He posted 1 Defensive Runs Saved and earned a solid grade as a framer over 134 2/3 innings behind the plate.
With Baldwin back and Bart now in the fold, Leon will likely need another injury to make an impact in the big leagues this year. Murphy will eventually factor into the mix, though he’s now on the 60-day IL.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images
