A's Claim 1B Nate Freiman off Waivers from Houston

The Oakland A's claimed first baseman Nate Freiman off waivers from the Houston Astros, the club announced today.  To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A's placed right-handed pitcher Fernando Rodriguez on the 60-day disabled list with a sprained right elbow.

Freiman was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the eighth round of the 2009 draft and was selected by Houston in the Rule 5 Draft following the 2012 season.  He must spend the entire season on the A's active roster or be exposed to waivers and offered back to the Padres.  The 26-year-old spent the 2012 season at Double-A San Antonio where he batted .298 with 24 home runs and 105 RBI in 137 games.  Freiman was named to the Texas League Postseason All-Star Team after leading the league in hits (154), RBI and games while ranking second in extra base hits (56) and total bases (259), third in home runs, fourth in doubles (31) and fifth in slugging (.502).  The 6-8, 250-pound right-handed hitter was batting .278 with one home run and seven RBI in 19 games this spring with Houston.  He is a .294 career hitter with 131 doubles, 71 home runs and 368 RBI in 483 games over four seasons in the minors. 

The complete 2012 and minor league career statistics for Freiman follows: