Four weeks after signing him as a free agent, the Atlanta Braves officially added outfielder Alex Verdugo to their active roster on Thursday. To make room, the team optioned outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett, marking a significant shuffle in the Braves’ outfield depth.
Verdugo, 28, had a late start to the season, joining Atlanta near the end of spring training. He appeared in nine games at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he batted .207 with a double, two home runs, and four RBIs. Though his numbers were modest, the Braves clearly feel confident in his potential impact at the major league level.
Alex Verdugo Last season with the New York Yankees, Verdugo hit .233 with a .647 OPS, belting 13 home runs and driving in 61 RBIs across 149 games. He also appeared in 14 postseason games, including the World Series, where he batted .208 and struck out to end the series as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the 2024 title.
Across his career, Verdugo owns a .272 batting average and .742 OPS, with 70 home runs and 316 RBIs in 800 MLB games with the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees. Meanwhile, De La Cruz was hitting just .191 over 16 games this season for Atlanta, and will look to reset in Gwinnett after struggling to find consistency at the plate.
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