Atlanta adds infield depth to the 40-man roster.
The Atlanta Braves have acquired infielder Jonathan Ornelas from the Texas Rangers for cash considerations according to the Rangers. The move has also been announced by Atlanta. The Braves had an open 40-man slot after designating infielder Orlando Arcia for assignment yesterday so no additional move was needed.
The Rangers have traded INF Jonathan Ornelas to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations.
Ornelas had been designated for assignment on Monday when the club claimed INF/OF Michael Helman on waivers.
— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) May 24, 2025
Ornelas is a glove-first infielder who has also seen limited action in center field in addition to his work at second base, third base and shortstop. He has appeared in 30 career games after debuting in 2023 but has only 54 career plate appearances in the big leagues.
His best minor league season came in 2022 in Double-A when he hit 14 home runs and also stole 14 bases good for a 101 wRC+. Throughout his minor league career he’s maintained a solid strikeout and walk percentages but has otherwise been a below-average bat in recent years.
In an extraordinarily small sample since at the MLB level he’s produced a 35 wRC+ and struck more than 37-percent of the time.
A third-round selection out of high school by the Rangers in 2018, he offers the Atlanta organization another option behind Luke Williams, who is now the team’s primary back-up infielder. The soon-to-be 25-year-old does have an option available.