Ryan Howard to Join Gwinnett Braves Tonight

Atlanta Braves signed the 2006 NL MVP to a minor league contract on April 6

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – The Atlanta Braves have announced that first baseman Ryan Howard is set to join the Gwinnett Braves tonight as they host the Pawtucket Red Sox for a 6:05 p.m. game at Coolray Field.

Howard, 37, was signed by the Braves to a minor league contract on April 6. He joins a minor league roster for the first time since 2012, when he spent a seven-game rehab assignment with Class-A Lakewood and Triple-A Lehigh Valley of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Howard played 13 Major League seasons with the Phillies from 2004-16, batting .258 with 382 home runs and 1,194 RBIs in 1,572 games. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2005 after batting .288 with 22 homers and 63 RBIs in 88 games. A year later in 2006, he batted .313 with career highs in homers (58) and RBIs (149) over 159 games to win the NL’s Most Valuable Player award. His highly-decorated career also includes a Silver Slugger award in 2006 and three NL All-Star selections (2006, 2009, 2010).

Howard has also enjoyed success in the postseason, batting .259 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 46 playoff games with Philadelphia from 2007-11. He was a member of the Phillies’ World Series Championship team in 2008 and was the MVP of the 2009 NLCS vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Gwinnett Braves and Pawtucket Red Sox play game two of a three-game series tonight at Coolray Field, first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Dave Lezotte has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM The Other Side of the River beginning at 5:35 p.m. For tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.