Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves

Orioles claim Rio Ruiz from Braves

The Braves acquired Rio Ruiz and pitchers Mike Foltynewicz and Andrew Thurman from the Astros for catcher/DH Evan Gattis and pitcher James Hoyt on Jan. 14, 2015. Ruiz committed to play football and baseball for USC, but signed with the Astros when drafted in the fourth round. He was a quarterback and safety in football. He committed to play baseball for USC when he was a high school freshman. His first big league hit was a triple off Jeanmar Gomez of the Phillies on Sept. 28, 2016. That remains his only t
By
Dec 10, 2018

The Orioles claimed infielder Rio Ruiz off waivers from the Braves. It reduced the Braves’ 40-man roster to 39.

Ruiz, 24, appeared in 72 games for the Braves across three seasons. He hit .189/.282/.302 with four homers and 21 RBIs, receiving the bulk of his work (53 games) in 2017.

But Ruiz wasn’t able to carve out a consistent role with the club. Johan Camargo passed him in priority, and despite Camargo opening last season on the disabled list, waiver add Ryan Flaherty got the nod at third.

In Baltimore, Ruiz will have a better opportunity to earn playing time for an organization undergoing a major rebuild.

About the Author

Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.

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