Braves surprisingly working out 40-year-old former batting champ at third base

The Atlanta Braves have been ravaged by injuries, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to plug the holes.

With Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. out for the season, the Braves were already missing their preseason Cy Young and Most Valuable Player favorites. They hung in there through the injuries to Max Fried, Reynaldo López, and Ozzie Albies.

But Monday's news that star third baseman Austin Riley would likely miss the remainder of the regular season brought about a new air of desperation in Atlanta. The Braves quickly signed former Detroit Tigers third baseman Gio Urshela off waivers on Tuesday.

Urshela may be the Braves' most viable solution, but he's far from a sure thing, having struggled mightily at the plate for most of the season. And it appears the Braves are thinking of an even more creative solution as a potential backup plan.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported on Tuesday that the Braves will begin working out former Houston Astros and Miami Marlins first baseman Yuli Gurriel at third base in Triple-A.

"(Heard) that the Braves intend to have Yuri Gurriel begin to play some third base at AAA," Sherman said. "Gurriel, 40, has not started at the position in the majors since 2019 and hasn't played at all in the majors this year. He's hitting .300 for Gwinnett in 72 games."

Gurriel, signed with the Braves as a minor-league free agent in April. He is slashing .300/.380/.498 in 72 games with Triple-A Gwinnett this season, including 12 home runs.

Though he didn't debut in the majors until he was 32, Gurriel has had a decorated big-league career. He won two World Series rings with the Astros and took home the 2021 American League batting title with a .319 average that season.

Though he was blocked at the position in Houston by two-time All-Star Alex Bregman, it is noteworthy that Gurriel has such limited experience at the hot corner at the big-league level. He has played just 92 games there in his career, compared to 787 at first.

Of course, Gurriel working out at the hot corner is no guarantee he earns time there with the Braves, nor even that he will earn a call-up at any point. But his minor league results at the plate speak loudly, and the Braves have been known to tap into aging veteran hitters in years past.

At this point, the Braves are desperate enough to try anything. It appears Urshela will get the first crack at taking over the third base gig, but if he struggles, Gurriel could very well be on the way to an unlikely new role with a new big-league team.

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