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 for Verdugo, the team optioned fellow outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Verdugo, 28, signed late in spring training and appeared in nine games at Gwinnett, where he hit .207 with a double, two home runs, and four RBIs.
Last season with the New York Yankees, he posted a .233 average, a .647 OPS, 13 homers, and 61 RBIs across 149 games. In the 2024 postseason, Verdugo hit .208 with a .622 OPS and one home run in 14 games, including striking out for the final out of the World Series, which the Dodgers won.
Over his MLB career, Verdugo owns a .272 batting average, .742 OPS, 70 home runs, and 316 RBIs in 800 games, having played for the Dodgers (2017–19), Red Sox (2020–23), and Yankees.
De La Cruz, also 28, struggled in his stint with Atlanta this season, hitting just .191 with one extra-base hit over 16 games. Across five MLB seasons with the Marlins, Pirates, and Braves, he’s compiled a .251 batting average, 58 home runs, and 208 RBIs in 491 games.
