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.
