A 30-year-old rookie, Lockhart gratefully broke in with the San Diego Padres in 1994. After signing as a free agent, he hit .279 with 30 walks as the everyday second baseman for the Kansas City Royals, before coming to the Atlanta Braves in 1997 with Michael Tucker in a trade for Jermaine Dye and Jamie Walker. He became part of a revolving door of second baseman including Mark Lemke, Bret Boone, Quilvio Veras and Marcus Giles. Without a starting role he became a reliable pinch-hitter and backup, though he slumped in 2001 with a .219 average over 178 at-bats.
