Alex Verdugo Hitting Leadoff, Ben Rice Moved To Cleanup
The New York Yankees are shuffling their batting order a bit for Wednesday's contest against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Zach Eflin. Outfielder Alex Verdugo will take over the leadoff spot, while rookie first baseman/catcher Ben Rice drops from leadoff to the cleanup spot behind slugger Aaron Judge. Rice has held his own in his first 19 major-league games for the Bombers, slashing .267/.348/.567 with a .914 OPS, five home runs, three doubles, 14 RBI and nine runs scored in 69 plate appearances. As long as he continues to hit like that, he'll play regularly at first with Anthony Rizzo out with a fractured forearm. Verdugo has hit 10 long balls in 335 at-bats while driving in 45 and scoring 42 runs. The 28-year-old will have more fantasy appeal atop the order, but it's unclear if this is more of a temporary or permanent move.
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo will take the day off on Friday with the team facing the visiting Atlanta Braves and left-hander Chris Sale. Verdugo will be replaced by Jahmai Jones, who will start in left field and bat fifth for the Yankees against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Verdugo is hitting just .211 (15-for-71) with two of his nine home runs, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts in 84 plate appearances against southpaws in 2024. He's also gone 5-for-29 (.172) with a homer, double, four RBI and three strikeouts in his last seven games, so he could use a day off. Jones has only played in 21 games in his first year in the Bronx and is hitting .188 (3-for-16) with a homer, RBI and stolen base. DFS managers will probably want to avoid Jones against Sale on Friday's slate.
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo had a nice homecoming in Boston on Friday night where the lefty went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, four RBI, and a run scored in an 8-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Verdugo smacked a two-run home run in his first at-bat in his return to Fenway and followed that with an RBI double in the fifth inning and an RBI single in the ninth inning. Verdugo has been scorching-hot over the last week with four multi-hit games with a .355 batting average while driving in seven runs. Verdugo has been excellent hitting cleanup for the Yankees this season and will look to continue his hot June against the Red Sox the rest of this weekend with the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves heading to New York next week.
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo played his part in Tuesday's 10-3 win over the Astros. Verdugo went 3-for-5 with two singles, a three-run home run, and four RBI. The 27-year-old has brought more pop than expected and is slashing .275/.362/.450 with five HR and 17 RBI in 141 plate appearances. His fantasy value would be boosted if he continues to hit for power and average in a strong lineup.
The New York Yankees reinstated outfielder Alex Verdugo from the paternity list on Thursday and optioned catcher Carlos Narvaez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. Verdugo is back in Thursday's lineup after missing the last three games. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter is starting in left field and is batting sixth against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish, who is making his season debut for the O's. He'll return to face a pitcher that he's had some pretty good success against, as he's hit .368 with an .894 OPS and three RBI in 19 career at-bats against Bradish. In his first 101 at-bats with the Yankees, Verdugo has 27 hits (four home runs), 13 RBI, one stolen base and 17 runs scored in 29 contests.
The New York Yankees placed outfielder Alex Verdugo on the paternity list ahead of their four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Verdugo will now miss between one to three games as he welcomes a new baby into the world. That means the latest we can expect the left-handed slugger back is Thursday in the team's series finale. The Yankees will surely miss his bat in the lineup for the next couple of days, considering he is hitting .267 with four home runs, 13 RBI, and six doubles through 29 games this year. But he should be back later this week for your fantasy teams. In his place, New York called up catcher Carlos Narvaez.
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (leg) returned to the team's Grapefruit League game on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays and was starting in left field while batting seventh in the lineup. Verdugo was hit by a pitch on his left leg last Saturday and was scratched from the spring game on Sunday as a result. It was a minor injury, so the 27-year-old left-handed hitter should be just fine for Opening Day on March 28. He comes to the Bronx in 2024 after a trade from the division-rival Boston Red Sox and is expected to serve as the Yankees' starting left fielder. Verdugo has gone 1-for-8 with a double and three strikeouts so far in camp, and his fantasy stock is down after slashing .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs, 54 RBI and five steals in 142 games in his final season in Boston in 2023. He just hasn't shown enough power or speed production to be of much use in mixed fantasy leagues.
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (leg) was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League lineup on Sunday with a left-leg contusion that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch on Saturday. Verdugo is just dealing with a bruise, so it's nothing serious. The 27-year-old should be able to return to the team's spring training lineup in a day or two. Consider him day-to-day for now. The Yanks acquired Verdugo via trade from the Red Sox this offseason. He's proven to be a mediocre hitter the last couple years in Boston, but perhaps the change of scenery to the Bronx will invigorate him offensively. Verdugo didn't hit the ball very hard in 2023 and has been merely average in the power and speed departments, giving him limited fantasy upside for outfield depth in deep-mixed leagues.
The Boston Red Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the division-rival New York Yankees on Tuesday in exchange for three right-handed pitchers, the most notable being 23-year-old right-hander Richard Fitts. The 27-year-old Verdugo fulfills the Yankees' search for a left-handed bat. Verdugo finished 2023 as a Gold Glove finalist while slashing .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs, 54 RBI, and five stolen bases in 602 plate appearances. General manager Brian Cashman has stated that he is searching for two outfielders, so the Yankees may not be done bolstering their outfield. Verdugo is a solid all-around baseball player but does not particularly stand out for fantasy purposes. Ultimately, his shift to Yankee Stadium may benefit his home-run numbers, but his overall value will be determined by the final state of the Yankees' lineup heading into 2024.
MLB teams are inquiring about the availability of Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo at the general manager meetings this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. Verdugo was excellent with the glove and was a finalist for the American League Gold Glove in right field, his offensive numbers dipped to a league-average 100 OPS+ in 2023. He was also benched twice during the year by manager Alex Cora, which added fuel to the discussion around his fit with the team moving forward. Boston also has a surplus of outfielders, mainly left-handed-hitting outfielders, and Verdugo is entering his final year of arbitration and is projected to make $9.2 million in 2024. The 27-year-old finished his fourth year in Beantown with a .264/.324/.421 slash line with a career-high-tying 13 home runs, 37 doubles, five triples, 54 RBI, five stolen bases and 81 runs scored in 142 games.
