The Braves have added a veteran catcher to the organization, signing former All-Star Jonathan Lucroy to a minor-league contract, a person familiar with the situation confirmed late Friday night.
Lucroy appeared in five games for the Washington Nationals early this season, collecting five hits in 14 at-bats, before he was designated for assignment and subsequently became a free agent.
He’ll report to the Braves’ Triple-A team at Gwinnett.
Lucroy, 34, has played all or part of 12 seasons in the major leagues for eight different teams, including his first six-plus seasons with Milwaukee. He made All-Star teams in 2014 and 2016 with the Brewers. A career .274 hitter, he has appeared in only six MLB games since the end of the 2019 season.
The Braves need insurance at the catching position behind rookie William Contreras, their current starter, and veteran backup Jeff Mathis. Tyler Flowers, who signed a minor-league deal with the Braves last week, announced Friday his decision to retire as a player.
Travis d’Arnaud, the Braves’ starting catcher last year and early this season, is on the 60-day injured list after May 3 surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. He is expected to be sidelined at least until late in the season.
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