The Braves sought to strengthen their bench before the waiver deadline. They did so Wednesday in adding slugging first baseman Lucas Duda.
Hours after the team received catcher Rene Rivera off waivers, it acquired Duda from the Royals for cash considerations, the teams announced.
The Braves scoured the waiver wire searching for a player with Duda’s profile. He cleared waivers before the trade, according to a report from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Duda has slashed .242/.311/.415 over 86 games. His splits are drastic, as he’s hitting just .180 against lefties. The Braves, who needed bench offense given Adam Duvall’s disappointing lack of production so far, are adding .267 with an .814 OPS against right-handers to their bench.
Of Duda’s 74 hits, 58 have come against righties, as have 11 of his 13 homers and 11 of his 12 doubles. Thirty-four of his 48 RBIs are against right-handers.
The Braves will hope Duvall can round back into form, theoretically giving them two power bats off the bench. Duvall is 4-for-33 with no homers or RBIs in 20 games with the Braves.
When Duda and Rivera are added, the Braves’ 40-man roster will be full. They are expected to clear additional spots for roster expansion Sept. 1.
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