The Angels announced that catcher René Rivera was claimed on waivers by the Braves.
Rivera, 35, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee in May and didn’t return until a couple weeks ago. He had been the backup to Martin Maldonado, but Maldonado was traded to the Astros near the end of July. With Rivera now out of the picture in Anaheim, Francisco Arcia figures to take over starting duties with José Briceño backing him up.
Rivera hit .244/.287/.439 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 87 plate appearances this season. He will rank third on the Braves’ depth chart at catcher behind Kurt Suzuki and Tyler Flowers.
