Phillip

Evans

Evans signed a minor league deal with the Braves last December and never wound up making it to Atlanta. The 31-year-old journeyman has been cut loose after batting .222/.305/.324 with five homers and one steal in 200 plate appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since getting into 76 games for the Pirates back in 2021.

All five were in Braves camp this spring as non-roster invitees with no real shot at making Atlanta’s season-opening roster. García, López and Evans have all spent time in the big leagues, while Holmes and Walsh figure to continue providing extra organizational relief depth back at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Evans augments Atlanta’s infield depth in the upper minors heading into the 2024 campaign after spending this past season at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks’ system, batting .312/.424/.439 with 11 homers and two steals across 590 plate appearances. The 31-year-old utility infielder has gotten into 121 games at the big league level since 2017, but hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2021 season.

Evans inked a minor league deal with Arizona after spending all of last year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He will serve as a bench option if the Diamondbacks were to need him this season.

Evans last appeared in the majors with the Pirates back in 2021 and will compete this spring for a spot on the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster as a versatile bench option. The 30-year-old infielder spent all of last season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .244/.310/.366 with nine homers and two steals in 400 plate appearances over 103 contests.

Evans posted a .206/.312/.299 batting line last season over 247 plate appearances. The veteran will serve as corner infield depth for the Yankees.

The move clears a 40-man roster spot as teams make some important decisions this week. Evans was a pleasant surprise for the Pirates in the early part of the 2021 season, but he ended up posting a .206/.312/.299 batting line over 247 plate appearances. The 29-year-old will likely have to settle for a spring training invite somewhere.

The Pirates have called up Cody Ponce in a corresponding roster move. Evans got off to a strong start this season, but he now has a .206/.312/.299 batting line over 247 plate appearances.

Hayes has been out since Sunday due to discomfort in his right hand. While the X-rays returned negative, there’s no reason for the Pirates to play the 24-year-old until he’s 100 percent. Phillip Evans gets the start at third in his place.

Evans got off to a hot start this season but holds an ugly .208/.314/.304 overall slash line in 72 games (239 plate appearances) for Pittsburgh. He is not a fantasy-relevant player for the stretch run.