Atlanta Braves Suddenly Add 6-Year MLB Veteran Before Phillies WC Series

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 18: Luke Williams #37 of the Atlanta Braves floats a pitch in the eighth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox at Truist Park on August 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

The MLB playoffs begin today!! (9/29), and the league kicks things off with an exciting series between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Atlanta won the NL East, so they get the home-field advantage, and the Phillies were the last team on the NL side to clinch a playoff spot.

Before the Phillies-Braves Wild Card series began, the Braves made a pair of roster moves, including adding MLB veteran infielder Luke Williams to their WC roster.

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Braves Add Luke Williams to Wild Card Roster

For the Wild-Card round, teams are allowed to carry a handful of extra players for depth reasons.

The Atlanta Braves have decided to add Luke Williams (and Rowdy Tellez) as platoon/pinch-run pieces against the Phillies.

MLBTR.com’s Steve Adams helped break the sudden news of the roster changes. He wrote (on 9/29):

“The Braves announced their roster for the 2026 NL Wild Card round of postseason play this morning, and it included a pair of non-roster infielders: Rowdy Tellez and Luke Williams. Despite not being on the 40-man roster, both players were eligible for postseason inclusion by virtue of the fact that they were in the organization prior to Sept. 1.”

Luke Williams, 30, has played in parts of four seasons with the Atlanta Braves, and in 2026, he has logged just 1 plate appearance with the club, and he walked in that 1 PA. Williams has spent most of his time at AAA this season and will serve as a pinch-runner option for manager Walt Weiss.

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Taking a Quick Glance at Luke Williams’ MLB Career

All in all, Luke Williams has played in 6 MLB seasons.

He debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, and joined the Braves before the 2023 season.

Across 223 games and 321 total MLB at-bats, he carries a batting average of .212 with an OPS+ of 54.

With the Braves, he’s played in just 82 games over the last four seasons.