Braves claim lefty Kevin Chapman off waivers

The Braves claimed left-hander Kevin Chapman off waivers from the Astros on Monday.

Chapman, 29, made 58 relief appearances for the Astros over the past three seasons. He posted a 4.09 ERA over 55 innings with 48 strikeouts, 31 walks and 54 hits allowed.

Chapman joins three veteran left-handers on the Braves roster who are vying for bullpen spots: Ian Krol, Paco Rodriguez and Eric O’Flaherty.

“We’ll put him in the mix,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You can never have enough left-handers.”

Chapman is out of minor-league options. That means if the Braves put him on the 25-man roster to open the season they couldn’t send him down and then recall him again.