Charlie Culberson, a utility man who has played in parts of 11 MLB seasons, is set to make a late-career shift to the mound. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, Culberson will attend the Braves’ Minor League camp as a pitcher. The club has not yet confirmed this report.
Culberson, 34, does have some pitching experience in the Majors. He has thrown 7 1/3 innings across eight appearances, allowing one run on seven hits with one strikeout and three walks. In 2023, he also threw 3 2/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett.
In his MLB pitching appearances, Culberson has reached a top speed of 93.7 mph. However, most of his pitching opportunities have come in mop-up situations during blowout games.
Throughout his career, Culberson has played at every position on the diamond except for catcher and center fielder. He has spent time with the Giants, Rockies, Dodgers, Braves, and Rangers since his debut in 2012. However, in 2023, he only played one MLB game, making a bench appearance for the Braves in July.
There have been similar cases of players transitioning to pitching later in their careers. Jason Lane, who played as an outfielder for the Astros and Padres from 2002-07, returned to the field as a pitcher for the Padres in 2014, throwing 10 1/3 innings with a 0.87 ERA over three appearances. Anthony Gose also made a successful transition, pitching for the Guardians in 2021-22 after previously playing as an outfielder for the Blue Jays and Tigers from 2012-16. Gose, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, is currently signed with Cleveland on a Minor League deal.
