The Braves selected infielder Jim Jarvis from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, giving the Alabama product the first major league call-up of his career. Atlanta designated outfielder Jose Azocar for assignment in the corresponding move.
Jarvis, who the Tigers picked in the 11th round in 2023 and then traded to Atlanta at last summer's deadline for middle reliever Rafael Montero, earned the promotion after a strong run at Gwinnett. He hit.308/.415/.445 through 153 plate appearances, working walks at a 15% clip while striking out 17.6% of the time. He also stole 15 bases in 17 tries, hit four home runs and six doubles. After the trade, he hit.265/.344/.361 over 21 games with Atlanta's Double-A affiliate.
The move comes as Atlanta keeps adjusting its roster around an outfield that has been in flux. Mauricio Dubón was moved from shortstop to center field over the past week, Michael Harris II was sidelined by minor quad discomfort, and Harris started in left field for the first time in his career last night. The Braves kept Dubón in center and pushed Mike Yastrzemski to right field.
Jarvis entered the season viewed as a contact-based shortstop with limited power, but his bat has been better than the outside scouting reports suggested. Baseball America ranked him 28th in the Atlanta system over the offseason, and Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs listed him as an honorable mention in March. Atlanta should also get Ha-Seong Kim back from injury within the next week to 10 days, giving the club more options as it tries to steady the roster.
Azocar's departure opens the door for Jarvis, but it also underscores how quickly the Braves have had to shuffle pieces. Azocar made one start in right field and went 0-for-2, then pinch ran and stole a base on Monday. He has a.270/.348/.420 start with Gwinnett and a.243/.288/.318 line over parts of five MLB campaigns.