The Atlanta Braves made a move to shore up its injury-depleted outfield, claiming former Reds and Royals outfielder Billy Hamilton on waivers.
Hamilton was placed on waivers last week by the non-contending Royals, as they preferred to cut bait with the light-hitting speedster in order to give younger players more opportunities.
The 28-year-old had a bad season with Kansas City, posting a .212 batting average and hitting zero home runs.
The Braves aren’t bringing in Hamilton for his bat, however. They have claimed Hamilton in the hopes that his elite speed and defensive prowess will help the team in the interim as Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis are out with injury.
They also will consider giving Hamilton a bench slot for their nearly-guaranteed playoff run. Elite speedsters and defensive wizards like Hamilton are always a popular choice for late-game situations in the playoffs, and he could fit the bill perfectly for Atlanta.
In fact, in his Braves debut on Tuesday night in a 5-1 win against the Marlins, Hamilton entered into the game in the 7th inning and played centerfield as the Braves held the lead.
Hamilton has nearly 300 career steals in 6 career MLB seasons, and defensive metrics rate him as one of the top outfielders with the glove in the sport.
He’ll be under contract through the end of this season with Atlanta.
