Braves sign Merrifield after Phillies release
The Atlanta Braves agreed to a major-league deal with veteran utility player Whit Merrifield, the team announced Monday.
Merrifield was supposed to join the Braves for their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds. However, he's day-to-day after taking a ball off a finger of his throwing hand while taking grounders, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic.
The addition of the 35-year-old gives the team depth after second baseman Ozzie Albies went down for eight weeks with a fractured wrist.
The Philadelphia Phillies released Merrifield on July 12 after he hit .199/.277/.295 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 53 contests. The three-time All-Star signed a one-year, $8-million contract with the team in February.
During the prime of his career, the South Carolina native twice led the American League in hits and was first in stolen bases on three occasions. He hasn't posted an OPS above .800 since 2019, though he did hit .281 with a 119 OPS+ during a 44-game stretch for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 following a trade from the Kansas City Royals.