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Utility player Brian Bixler, who played six positions in 79 games for the Nationals last season and gave them a capable defender off the bench, was claimed off waivers today by the Astros, according to an email from the Nationals.
Bixler hit .205 in 83 at-bats, walking seven times and stealing four bases in six attempts. He saw much of his playing time in the six weeks Ryan Zimmerman missed with abdominal surgery; Bixler got seven of his 15 starts during that stretch, and posted a .346 on-base percentage with Zimmerman gone.
His departure does clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the Nationals, who will need to take Adam LaRoche and Cole Kimball off the 60-day disabled list later this month.
