The Atlanta Braves wasted no time putting their newest catcher to work, activating Joey Bart from the 10-day injured list on Friday — just 24 hours after completing a trade to bring him over from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pittsburgh received right-handed relief pitcher Hunter Stratton as part of Thursday’s transaction.
Bart, 29, has deep roots in the Peach State, having grown up in Georgia and played college ball at Georgia Tech. Before his season was interrupted, he posted a .259 batting average with two home runs and six RBIs across 21 games for Pittsburgh this year. His time on the injured list came after he developed a left foot infection in mid-May.
To get back into game shape, Bart spent the past week playing in five minor league rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis, going 4-for-16 with one home run and two RBIs for a .250 average during that stretch.
Over the course of his major league career, Bart has appeared in 356 games split between the San Francisco Giants from 2020 to 2023 and the Pirates from 2024 to 2026. He carries a lifetime .240 batting average, a .319 on-base percentage, a .369 slugging percentage, 30 home runs, and 119 RBIs. Bart was selected with the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
