The Atlanta Braves designated shortstop Luke Williams for assignment on Thursday, two days after the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated them from the National League Division Series.
The Dodgers won three of the four games in the best-of-five series to advance to the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Atlanta dropped Game 4 by a 4-1 score at Truist Park on Wednesday night.
The roster move came as the Braves began reshaping their 40-man roster for the offseason. According to MLB.com’s transactions tracker, the club designated Williams for assignment while selecting the contract of left-hander Danny Young from Triple-A Gwinnett.
“Atlanta Braves designated SS Luke Williams for assignment.”
Williams, who turned 30 on Aug. 9, has served primarily as organizational depth since joining Atlanta in 2023. He appeared in just two regular-season games this year and did not play during the postseason.
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Williams in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California. He made his major league debut with Philadelphia in 2021, appearing in 58 games as a rookie.
Williams later spent time with the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins in 2022 before the Dodgers claimed him. The Braves claimed him off waivers from Los Angeles in June 2023.
In four seasons with Atlanta, Williams batted .151 with a .221 on-base percentage and .209 slugging percentage. He drove in nine runs and stole 11 bases across 96 plate appearances.
Over his six-year major league career, Williams has compiled a .212/.272/.280 slash line with two home runs, 21 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 350 plate appearances spanning 223 games. He has been worth minus-0.7 bWAR in that span.
Williams provides defensive versatility and has experience at multiple infield and outfield spots. His limited major league production has kept him in a depth role for most of his time in Atlanta.
The Braves selected Young, a 32-year-old left-hander recovering from Tommy John surgery, to keep him from becoming a minor league free agent. Young made 16 appearances for Atlanta this season with an 8.03 ERA.
Designating a player for assignment gives a club five days to trade, release or place the player on waivers. Williams has cleared waivers and re-signed minor league deals with Atlanta multiple times in recent seasons.
Atlanta finished the regular season with a 94-68 record and its seventh National League East title since 2018 before falling to the Dodgers in the Division Series.
