Braves Claim Alex Rodriguez's Nephew Off Waivers

The Atlanta Braves have claimed Joe Dunand off waivers from the Miami Marlins. And if the name Dunand doesn't sound that familiar to you—after all, he's had just 10 major league at-bats—then his uncle might ring a bell: Alex Rodriguez. 

Being A-Rod's nephew may have helped get him noticed initially, as he was a second-round pick of the Marlins in 2017, but he's yet to show the skills of Uncle Alex thus far in his 5-year minor league career. 

The Marlins gave Dunand his first taste of The Show, calling up the hometown kid for a three-game trial this season, where he hit .300 with one home run. But his much larger sample size in the minors isn't as impressive, with a career .236 average across all levels. 

Defensively, he's a decent defender, mostly as a third baseman, but has also played a lot of shortstop. That's where the similarities to Uncle A-Rod end, however. 

He'll be sent initially to the Braves' Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett. 

 Photo Credit: USA TODAY NETWORK