Braves Bring Back Former Postseason Hero in Outfield

Since Ronald Acuna Jr. went down with a torn ACL on May 26, the Atlanta Braves have searched for a consistent replacement in the outfield.

Read more: Braves Sign Journeyman Outfielder in Wake of Ronald Acuña Jr. Injury

With the MLB trade deadline later this month, the Braves are expected to be active in their pursuit of an outfielder. On Friday, though, they got an early start.

The Braves have signed outfielder Eddie Rosario to a minor league deal, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Rosario, 32, was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals earlier this week when they called up top prospect James Wood. A reunion between Rosario and the Braves made perfect sense, and on Friday, it became a reality.

Rosario was acquired by the Braves at the 2021 trade deadline, the first time Acuna Jr. suffered a torn ACL. Rosario was one of the many outfielders the Braves acquired at that deadline — they also added Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, and Jorge Soler — and he made one of the biggest impacts, especially come October.

After slashing .271/.330/.573 in the final 33 games of the regular season, Rosario took his game up a level in the postseason. In 16 postseason games, Rosario slashed .383/.456/.617 with three home runs and an OPS of 1.073. In the 2021 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was virtually unstoppable, slashing .560/.607/1.040 with all three of his postseason home runs and an OPS of 1.647 in six games. He was named the 2021 NLCS Most Valuable Player.

Rosario then spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Atlanta, before signing a deal with the Nationals this past offseason.

Rosario appeared in 67 games with the Nationals, slashing .183/.226/.329 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, and an OPS of .555. This would be the worst season of his career in terms of OPS, but he and the Braves are hoping a change of scenery gets him back on track.

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Rosario will be reporting to Triple-A Gwinnett where he’ll work with the Braves hitting coaches to regain his form. Then, he’ll hope to earn a call-up before the trade deadline, which will give the Braves a chance to see if they need to acquire another outfielder before July 30.

Rosario was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. He’s spent time with the Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Braves, and Nationals across his 10-year MLB career.