The Braves have claimed Kubitza off waivers from the Rangers, Kevin McAlpin of BravesRadioNet reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kubitza was placed on waivers by the Rangers after hitting .220/.322/.354 with six home runs, 34 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 345 at-bats. The 26-year-old third baseman will report to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Kubitza was designated for assignment Wednesday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

EDGE Analysis

Over 44 games at Triple-A Round Rock, Kubitza owned a dismal .182 batting average. Strikeouts were also a serious issue for the 26-year-old, as he posted a 25.7 K-rate with the club. If he clears waivers, Kubitza will stay with one of Texas's minor league affiliates.

Kubitza was acquired by the Rangers on Tuesday and sent to Triple-A Round Rock, Rangers VP of Comm. John Blake reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kubitza had previously been with the Angels, but he'll head to the division rival's organization in exchange for cash considerations. The 25-year-old has struggled in limited big league action and was slashing just .253/.349/.366 in 54 games at Triple-A Salt Lake, so he could benefit from a change of scenery. He'll serve as organizational depth in the infield for now, but it's possible Kubitza works his way up to the big leagues before the end of the season.

Kubitza was designated for assignment on Monday, Pedro Moura of the LA Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kubitza has seen his play regress this season at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he's hitting .253/.349/.366. His most drastic decline is his slugging percentage, which was at .433 last season and is .430 for his minor league career. The significant drop is largely due to his lack of doubles, as he's hit just five in 2016, but is coming off a 2015 campaign that saw him hit a career high of 43.

Kubitza was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Kubitza will open the season at the Triple-A level, but he remains one of the top candidates to be called up in the event of an injury at second or third base. The Angels also optioned Kaleb Cowart on Saturday, a player who may be competing with Kubitza for playing time at the major league level in the future.

Kubtiza is being worked out at second base for the first time in his career, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports.

EDGE Analysis

He won't appear at the keystone this season, as there is not enough time for him to learn the position from scratch, but it could be an option for the 25-year-old down the line. The move would make sense, as Kubitza's bat projects to be average at best for a third baseman, so if he could handle second base that would better fit his offensive skill set. Kaleb Cowart seems to be the team's preferred option at third base heading into next year, so second base may be Kubitza's best shot at making the team out of camp in 2016.

Kubitza was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

EDGE Analysis

A third-round pick by the Braves in 2011, Kubitza flopped in a 16-game audition with the Angels earlier this season, going 7-for-35 (.200 average) with zero extra-base hits and 15 strikeouts. Chances are, he will merely provide depth at third base and in the corner outfield over the final month, perhaps seeing a spot start here or there.

The Los Angeles Angels recalled third baseman Kyle Kubitza from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday according to MLB.com. Starting third baseman David Freese will miss at least 15 days after fracturing his finger Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins, which could allow Kubitza, who has tallied an .804 OPS with five home runs in 78 games with Salt Lake this season, to get some time at the position with the big club. Kubitza failed to impress at the plate while Freese was sidelined with a similar injury in May, recording just six hits in 31 at-bats, but manager Mike Scioscia said he is confident that Kubitza will be able to help the team with his bat. “Although he didn’t light it up offensively (last time in the majors), you can see there is potential there,” Scioscia told the Orange County Register. Taylor Featherston is in the starting lineup in place of Freese on Thursday.

Kubitza was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake after Sunday's game against the Mariners, Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register reports. Kubitza got off to a nice start over his first few days in the majors, but he'll ultimately finish his first big-league stint with just six hits (all singles) in 29 at-bats, along with a 13:2 K:BB ratio. He has a .287/.362/.452 slash line for Triple-A Salt Lake this season, but with just three home runs and one stolen base in 57 games.

Kubitza is in the lineup Saturday against Oakland. Kubitza has gotten off to a 6-for-20 start for his big league career and is yet to strike out. He'll bat eighth in the order against Jesse Hahn and fill in for David Freese at third base.