NORTH PORT, Fla. — Charlie Culberson, the beloved Braves utilityman trying to extend his career as a pitcher, didn’t find much success in his second spring outing Saturday against the Orioles at CoolToday Park.
Culberson entered in the eighth inning. He hit Maverick Handley with a pitch and walked Diego Castillo. After striking out Connor Norby, he walked Errol Robinson. He surrendered a double to John Rhodes that drove in two, and after an ensuing sacrifice fly, Braves manager Brian Snitker made a pitching change.
Culberson, 34, recorded two outs and allowed four earned runs on one hit. His velocity was around 91-92 mph. In his other exhibition appearance, he allowed one hit in a scoreless inning against the Rays on Feb. 29.
“We’ll see where it takes him,” Snitker said of Culberson’s effort to convert into a pitcher. “He likes to play baseball, whatever position. We wish him the best. Charlie has been a big part of this, had success here. He’s just a wonderful guy. If he wants to do that, I’m happy he’s getting the opportunity.”
A Rome native, Culberson played for the Braves from 2018-20 in a utility role. He had his best campaign in 2018 for the surprise 90-win Braves, hitting .270/.326/.466 in 113 games. After two seasons with Texas, Culberson rejoined the Braves in 2023. He played mostly at Triple-A Gwinnett, appearing in only one major-league game.
He signed a minor-league deal with the team this offseason as a reliever.
