Braves option Christian Bethancourt to Triple-A

The Atlanta Braves shipped one of their scuffling youngsters back to the minor leagues Monday afternoon amid continued struggles both at the plate and behind it.

The Braves optioned catcher Christian Bethancourt to Triple-A Gwinnett prior to Monday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, after watching the 22-year-old post a meager .528 OPS through 29 games in 2015. Bethancourt also committed three errors in his last 11 games and is tied for third in the majors with five passed balls this season despite logging only 236 1/3 innings behind the plate.

In a corresponding move, the Braves promoted veteran catcher Ryan Lavarnway from Triple-A to take Bethancourt's spot on the active roster. In 12 games with Gwinnett, the 27-year-old hit .268/.388/.463 with two home runs and eight walks over 49 plate appearances.