ATLANTA – Pablo Sandoval made the opening day roster for the Atlanta Braves.
The squad made a flurry of moves on Saturday to complete its 26-man roster, including selecting the contract of 34-year-old Sandoval, who was a non-roster invitee this spring.
The two-time All-Star and 2012 World Series MVP is looking to revive his career in a banking role with the Braves. The switch-hitter earned his spot with a strong jump, hitting .429 with four RBI’s in 35 at-bats.
The Braves, who open the season in Philadelphia on Thursday, also selected the contracts of two other non-roster players: infielder Ehire Adrianza and reliever Nate Jones.
Infielder Jason Kipnis, a two-time All-Star who attempted to make the Braves a non-roster invitee, was released.
In addition, the team sent outfielder Abraham Almonte to the alternate training location, appointed outfielder Phillip Ervin for an assignment, and placed pitcher Touki Toussaint on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain.
Sandoval, whose contract is being upgraded to a $ 1 million one-year deal, hit .214 in 84 at-bats with the Braves and San Francisco Giants in 2020. He was added to the Atlanta post-season and went hitless in four at bats as the Braves came in one game to reach the World Series.
The Braves hope that Sandoval can return to the form he showed in 2019, hitting .268 with 14 homers for the Giants.
Adrianza again claimed an opening on the Atlanta bench by hitting .412 in spring practice, with two homers and a team-high 12 RBI’s through Friday’s game.
The versatile 31-year-old Venezuelan, who previously played for San Francisco and Minnesota, will especially provide depth at short stop behind Dansby Swanson. Adrianza has also played the other infield positions throughout his career, as well as the outfield.
Jones is another non-roster player who impressed the Braves this spring. The 35-year old righthanded man gave up only one run through seven appearances in 7⅓ innings, yielding three hits with one walk.
Jones played for eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox before moving to Cincinnati last season, where he went 0-1 with a 6.27 ERA in 21 appearances.
The Braves will start with just four starters on their pitching staff after choosing Bryse Wilson for the alternate training location for what is expected to take about two weeks.
The Braves will not use a fifth starter on their first pass through the rotation. Wilson is likely to make his first start on April 13 after beating Kyle Wright for fifth place on the grid.
Mike Soroka will start the season on the injured list as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles.