Braves acquire infielder Nicky Lopez from Kansas City Royals

Lopez, 28, first debuted in the bigs in 2019 after being taken in the 5th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was a starter the past two seasons, rotating between 2B, SS, and 3B in Kansas City - his 2021 slash line of .300/.365/.378 was the most productive of his career. After batting only .227 last year, he's spent most of 2023 as a utility player, playing in only 67 games with less than 200 total at-bats and a slash line of .210/.322/.280. 

Leaving Atlanta as the compensation is LHP Taylor Hearn. Acquired by the Braves for cash considerations just days ago after being DFA'd by the Texas Rangers, Hearn pitched in Saturday's 11-5 win over Milwaukee, going a third of an inning with two hits, two walks, and four earned runs. He was optioned to AAA Gwinnett to make a roster spot for AJ Smith-Shawver to start on Sunday for the series finale. 

It's unknown at this time what the move for Lopez does for fan favorite Charlie Culberson. The veteran's been on the roster for over a month and has gotten exactly one at-bat and no play in the field on defense. In a lineup that plays every day, Atlanta may just want an additional option in the minors if there were an injury, or they may want to replace Culberson with Lopez at some point this season. 

The expectation is that Lopez will be optioned to AAA Gwinnett once he reports to the team, as he has two options remaining. He is arbitration eligible in 2024, and will become a free agent in 2026.