The Atlanta Braves have cut ties with former All-Star Orlando Arcia in a surprise roster move ahead of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return.
Ahead of Friday’s home game against the San Diego Padres, the Braves announced on X/Twitter that Orlando Arcia has been designated for assignment following Acuña’s reinstatement from the injured list.
Being DFA’d means removing a player from a team’s active 40-man roster. That means the Braves now have seven days to decide if they want to trade, waive or outright release the one-time All-Star.
If he clears waivers, Orlando Arcia could be sent to the minors. But since he has more than five years of service time (seven years), Arcia has the option to reject a designation to the minors and elect free agency.
The #Braves today returned OF Ronald Acuña Jr. from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list. The club also designated INF Orlando Arcia for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 23, 2025
In April 2021, the Braves acquired Arcia from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Chad Sobotka and Patrick Weigel. Arcia suited up for 32 games as a Brave that year, and the franchise went on to win its first World Series championship since 1995 against the Houston Astros.
Orlando Arcia Has Struggled Since 2023
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Orlando Arcia earned his first MLB All-Star Game selection in 2023, finishing the year with a .264 batting average, 17 homers, 65 RBI and a .741 OPS. Atlanta would be eliminated by the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.
But he hasn’t been able to repeat that success since. In 2024, Arcia finished with a 2.18 batting average and struck out a career-high 128 times in 551 at-bats. For his career, Arcia is batting .241 with a .667 OPS. In 14 regular season games with Atlanta, however, he hit just .194 with a woeful .445 OPS, both career lows.
Also Read: Former Braves Teammates Named 2025 All-Star Futures Game Managers In Totally Unexpected Twist
