The Atlanta Braves are fresh off their recent series with the New York Yankees. Atlanta won the final game of the set on Sunday afternoon, but dropped the first two games on Friday and Saturday.
About a week ago, the Atlanta Braves made a very relevant roster decision by designating Jorge Mateo for assignment to clear space on the roster for Ha-Seong Kim, who was being activated off the IL.
Well, after a particularly long DFA limbo process, Mateo has officially been released from the organization.
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Jorge Mateo Released by the Braves
Following the New York Yankees series, the Atlanta Braves announced they have released Jorge Mateo.
The roster move is reflected via Mateo’s transactions tracker, and the Braves overall team transactions.
Mateo, 31, has played in parts of seven MLB seasons and was in the middle of his first season with the Braves. He had been playing on a one-year deal.
Across 65 games for the Braves, Mateo batted .240 with four home runs, 11 RBI, and six doubles.
Obviously, those aren’t the best stats in the world, but those are far better numbers than Ha-Seong Kim.
MLBTR.com’s Darragh McDonald wrote (about the release):
“Mateo has generally been a light-hitting guy whose main contributions are in the speed and defense departments. That was how things played out with Atlanta. He hit .240/.285/.380 for a wRC+ of 80, with all of those numbers being roughly in line with his career marks. He stole ten bases and got solid grades for his shortstop defense while also occasionally chipping in at second base and in left field.”
Now, Jorge Mateo hits free agency, and he should have no issues finding employment elsewhere after his contributions to the Braves this season.
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Jorge Mateo’s MLB Career
Let’s take a quick look at Jorge Mateo’s MLB career in full after the release from the Braves.
He debuted with the San Diego Padres in 2019 (as a once top prospect), and played two seasons there before a five-year stint with the Baltimore Orioles.
Mateo signed with the Braves as a free agent amid the team’s shortstop crisis in the offseason in 2026.
Across 552 total games played in seven seasons (1432 at-bats), Mateo holds a career average of .223 with 34 home runs, 77 doubles, 12 triples, and a lifetime OPS+ of 78. His OPS+ was just 82 with Atlanta, so obviously not lighting it up offensively either way, but as mentioned, Ha-Seong Kim’s OPS+ is far in the negatives this season, but Jorge Mateo’s contract is much more expendable, so it’s a scapegoat roster move.
It will be interesting to see what comes next for Jorge Mateo in his MLB career, but the Braves clearly do not have him in their future plans.
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