ATLANTA -- The Braves announced prior to Wednesday's series finale with the Nationals that they have designated catcher Chris Stewart for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Luke Jackson from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Jackson, 26, appeared in 43 games in relief for Atlanta in 2017, posting a 4.62 ERA. The Braves designated him for assignment in December before he was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
The move comes largely because Braves starting pitchers have not made it through six innings yet this season, a streak which reached six when starter Mike Foltynewicz exited after 5 1/3 frames of the series finale
Stewart saw early season action in the wake of injuries to catchers Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki. The 36-year-old went 3-for-14 with a .250 on-base percentage and is a career .230 hitter. He hit just .183 in 51 games with the Pirates last season.
Carlos Perez got the start behind the plate for Atlanta on Wednesday, and he picked Max Scherzer off first base to end the second inning.