Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Dan Uggla's mostly disappointing tenure with the Atlanta Braves came to a close on Friday, with the team giving the former All-Star second baseman his unconditional release.
The move comes less than a week after the Braves suspended the struggling veteran for their final game prior to the All-Star break last Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Uggla was disciplined for arriving to Wrigley Field only about an hour before first pitch.
Atlanta will still have to pay around $19 million to Uggla, who is hitting an anemic .162 with just two home runs this season and lost his starting job to rookie Tommy La Stella in May, over the remainder of this season and 2015.
Uggla slugged over 30 homers in five straight seasons from 2007-11, earning himself a five-year extension in January of 2011, but has been generally unproductive over the past two years. The three-time All-Star was not placed on the Braves' roster for the 2013 National League Division Series after hitting .179 during the regular season, and has been used sparingly since being displaced from an everyday role.
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