Alex Verdugo DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Atlanta Braves outfielder Alex Verdugo will make his season debut on Friday night hitting leadoff against Chris Paddack and the Minnesota Twins. Verdugo was recently called up from Triple-A Gwinnett where he hit for a .751 OPS in 33 PA. The lefty will look to bounce back after having a subpar season for the Yankees in 2024, hitting for just an 83 OPS+. The Braves need all the help they can get in their lineup, which has been underwhelming by their standards and has led to just a 5-13 record. Both lefties and righties have been hitting Paddack well this season, giving Verdugo intriguing opportunity in DFS leagues. Fantasy managers needing outfield help in deeper leagues may want to snag Verdugo off their waiver wire as well.

The Atlanta Braves have recalled outfielder Alex Verdugo from Triple-A Gwinnett. In a corresponding move, the Braves have optioned outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to Triple-A. The Braves inked Verdugo to a minor-league contract earlier in the spring, and he will now make his Atlanta debut. During the first nine games of the Triple-A regular season, Verdugo held a .207/.303/.448 slash line with two long balls. Verdugo had a disappointing campaign in the Bronx last season as he held a .233/.291/.356 line with 13 long balls, which was a stark decline from the .264/.323/.431 line he held during the 2023 campaign. De La Cruz tallied just one extra-base hit during the first 16 games of the MLB season and will look to turn the corner at Triple-A. Verdugo should see ample opportunities in the starting nine with Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) still sidelined.

The Athletic's David O'Brien writes that all signs point to outfielder Alex Verdugo joining the Atlanta Braves this week after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the team on March 20. Verdugo hit a three-run homer at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday and was pulled two innings later, fueling speculation that he'll join the team for their series opener in Toronto against the Blue Jays on Monday. A team official said that the 28-year-old was scheduled for a light day on Sunday, though, after he played all 14 innings of a doubleheader on Saturday. If he doesn't join the Braves in Toronto, Verdugo will likely be with them against the Minnesota Twins this weekend. After missing most of spring training, Verdugo has hit .182 (4-for-22) with a double, two homers, four RBI and a .700 OPS with Gwinnett. When he joins Atlanta, he could see regular playing time with both Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz struggling.