change of scene

Craig Tatum, the former Mississippi State star from Hattiesburg, was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles today after the Cincinnati Reds took the 26-year-old catcher off their 40-man roster. Good news for Tatum: The only other catcher on the Orioles’ roster is the highly touted Matt Wieters. Tatum, known more for his defensive abilities than his bat, made his big league debut in 2009 with the Reds and hit .162 in 26 games. He batted .239 in Triple-A. To clear space for Tatum, the Orioles designated former Mississippi Braves pitcher Chris Waters for assignment. … On the topic of M-Braves, five pitchers who toiled for the 2009 club were added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster: Kyle Cofield (who led the team with 10 wins and had a 3.90 ERA); Lee Hyde (2-1, 4.35 in seven appearances), Jeff Lyman (5 wins, 3.12 ERA in 33 games); Jose Ortegano (5-2, 2.83 in eight starts); and Jonny Venters (4-4, 2.76 in 12 starts, including opening day). Cofield, Hyde and Ortegano are likely to return to Pearl in 2010.