The Atlanta Braves cleared the way for Orlando Arcia to serve as their regular shortstop, optioning Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
The moves appear to put an end to the three-way competition to find a successor to Dansby Swanson, who left in December to sign a seven-year, $177 million free agent contract with the Chicago Cubs. Ehire Adrianza figures to serve as a utility infielder.
Shewmake, 25, hit .323 with five RBIs in 31 at-bats this spring while Grissom, 22, batted .371 with six RBIs in 35 at-bats. Arcia, 28, is hitting .240 with one homer and four RBIs in 25 at-bats.
Still, the Braves decided to go with Arcia, a strong defender with a major league track record of five-plus seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2016-21) and Atlanta (2021-22).
In 642 career major league games, Arcia has a .243 batting average, a .295 on-base percentage, a .369 slugging percentage, 53 homers and 223 RBIs.
The Braves also optioned outfielders Eli White and Jordan Luplow and right-handed reliever Nick Anderson to Gwinnett on Monday, and they reassigned catchers Ryan Casteel and Joe Hudson, infielder Yolmer Sanchez and left-hander Danny Young to their minor league camp. The transactions leave 32 players vying for the 26 Opening Day roster spots.
–Field Level Media