Charlie Culberson called back up to Braves roster
It's been a rollercoaster couple of weeks for Charlie Culberson after being outrighted to Gwinnett, becoming a free agent, and resigning with the Braves on a Minor League deal.
The Atlanta Braves re-added some infield depth to its roster in a series of moves made before Friday's game against the Miami Marlins.
Additionally, the club selected the contract of INF Charlie Culberson and optioned C Chadwick Tromp to Triple-A Gwinnett. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred LHP Dylan Lee to the 60-day injured list.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 30, 2023
Charlie Culberson makes his return to the big league roster just a few weeks after he was designated for assignment by the Braves to make room for Chadwick Tromp's call-up to Atlanta. Tromp came up to the Braves to provide catching depth after Sean Murphy missed a few games with a hamstring injury. Culberson cleared waivers and elected free agency shortly after before re-signing a new minors deal with the Braves.
Culberson originally made his return to the Braves organization after Spring Training, signing a minor league contract after being released by the Rays in late March. In 24 games with Triple-A Gwinnett, he slashed .204/.234/.255 with one home run and 10 RBIs. The Braves added him to the active roster back in May after putting Ehire Adrianza on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury. Culberson didn't appear in a game with the big league club before he was designated for assignment.
The Braves traded for the Rome native prior to the 2018 season, as a part of the Matt Kemp trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent three seasons in Atlanta, hitting .265 with an OPS of .768 in just under 500 plate appearances. After the 2020 season, Culberson signed with the Texas Rangers, appearing in 161 games over the next two seasons before hitting free agency.
"Charlie Clutch" likely won't make an appearance in Friday's game, and very well could be shut out of making an appearance for his second stint with the major league club. However, he provides Atlanta with a "break glass in case of emergency" solution for infield depth and should have a relatively lengthy stay with the Braves heading into the All-Star break.