A veteran catcher Sandy Leon cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A by the Braves, according to his MLB.com tracker. Atlanta designated Leon for assignment after the addition Joey Bart in trade with the Pirates. Leon has enough additional service time to decline the assignment, though he may choose to stick with the organization as a depth option.
Leon, 37, has spent parts of two major league campaigns with the Braves. He played five games with the team last season. Leon was released several times in 2025, but returned to the Atlanta organization in each case. The Braves are Leon’s seventh team in his 14-year MLB career.
Leon was released from Gwinnett in late April. He landed with the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League before returning to the Braves on a major league deal. Atlanta needs a backup Drake Baldwin after Sean Murphy he broke his finger in early May. Baldwin himself went down with a rare injury a week after Leon joined the club. The veteran earned regular reps alongside other backups Chadwick Trump again Austin Wynns.
Not known for his hitting, Leon hit .091 over 21 games. He actually got a hit in his first game against Atlanta, then went three weeks without a hit. Leon gave a solid job with the glove. He posted a Defensive Runs Saved and earned a solid streak as a starter over 134 2/3 innings behind the plate.
With Baldwin back and Bart now in the fold, Leon will likely need another injury to make an impact in the big leagues this year. Murphy will eventually enter the mix, although he is now on the 60-day IL.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images
