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.
Bryan De La Cruz, Orlando Arcia Out Sunday Against Rays
Atlanta Braves outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and shortstop Orlando Arcia will both start on the bench for Sunday's series finale against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays. Eli White is starting in left field and will bat ninth, while Nick Allen is at shortstop and in the eight-hole against Rays right-handed spot starter Joe Boyle. De La Cruz has seen more playing time with Jurickson Profar suspended, but he hasn't taken advantage of it so far, going 8-for-37 (.216) with no home runs, a run scored and a stolen base. The 28-year-old went 0-for-7 with a steal and five strikeouts in the first two games of the series against the Rays. Arcia is quickly losing the starting gig at shortstop to Allen, as he's been on the bench for three of the last four games. He's gone just 5-for-24 early on with an RBI and a run scored. Neither White nor Allen have faced Boyle in their careers.
Bryan De La Cruz Draws First Start Of Season On Monday Night
Atlanta Braves outfielder Bryan De La Cruz is in Monday night's lineup against the Dodgers, getting his first start of the season. De La Cruz will bat seventh and face Dodgers' starter Tyler Glasnow. The 28-year-old only has two at-bats this season and hasn't received much opportunity so tonight will be a good chance for him to make an impact as the Braves look for a spark to get them their first win of the season. De La Cruz hasn't had much success against Glasnow in his career going 0-3 against him. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to get him into their starting lineups and DFS managers should do what they can to avoid him until he proves himself.
Jarred Kelenic, Bryan De La Cruz Could Platoon In Right Field
Until Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is able to return from a torn left ACL he suffered last year, Jarred Kelenic will be the team's primary right fielder, but MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes that Kelenic could platoon with the right-handed-hitting Bryan De La Cruz. Jurickson Profar will start in left, and Michael Harris II will be in center field. In his first year with Atlanta in 2024, Kelenic, a former top prospect with the Seattle Mariners, slashed .231/.286/.393 with 15 home runs in 131 regular-season games. The 25-year-old posted a rough .595 OPS in the second half and will likely be Atlanta's fourth outfielder when Acuna returns. De La Cruz, 28, doesn't really take many walks, but he did hit .285/.309/.425 in 188 plate appearances against lefties with the Marlins and Pirates. A short-side platoon early on could give him some fantasy appeal in deep-mixed and NL-only leagues.
Braves Sign Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz To One-Year Deal
The Atlanta Braves have signed outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract on Sunday. The Braves are in need of some outfield depth with star Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) expected to miss the first couple months of the season. De La Cruz spent time with both the Marlins and the Pirates last season but was let go after a rough stretch of play to end the season for Pittsburgh. While the 27-year-old set a career-high in home runs with 21, 18 of those came in 454 plate appearances with the Marlins (25 PA/HR). He hit just three in 168 PA with the Pirates (56 PA/HR) while hitting just .200. With a 9.3% barrel rate that was in line with his career rate, there's hope that the pop will be there for the Braves, but the right-handed hitter struck out at an above-average rate in 2024 (27.3%) while walking at a well below-average rate (4.7%), so that'll need to improve. Once Acuna returns, the 6-foot-4 outfielder likely becomes a platoon player with teammate Jarred Kelenic, as De La Cruz had success against left-handed pitchers last season (.285/.309/.425) while Kelenic was the opposite. The four-year pro is probably best left to the waiver wire in fantasy drafts unless he shows tremendous improvement in the spring.
Pirates Expected To Non-Tender Bryan De La Cruz, Connor Joe
The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to non-tender outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe, according to a source. It will make both players free agents this winter. De La Cruz didn't impress the Bucs after the acquired him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline in the summer, as he hit just .200/.220/.394 with three homers, 17 RBI and 52 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances in the second half. The 27-year-old did manage a career-high 21 round-trippers in 149 total games in 2024, though, so he will attract interest on the free-agent market. Joe, 32, hit .238/.330/.396 with a .726 OPS, 20 homers, 78 RBI and five steals in 256 games the last two years in Pittsburgh and will look for a platoon/utility role with another organization on the free-agent market. The former first-rounder had a career-high 11 homers in 2023 in his first year in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan De La Cruz went 3-for-4 in a 7-0 victory over the division rival Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. The outfielder had two doubles amongst his three hits and also drove in three runs during the contest. Since being acquired from the Miami Marlins at this years trade deadline, De La Cruz has become a fixture in the Pirates lineup. Although he has yet to hit a home run with his new club, he has still put up valuable numbers this season with Miami and Pittsburgh, where the 27-year-old has hit .244 with 18 homers and 58 RBI in 492 at-bats between both clubs. He is not a must-roster, but he is worth a look in deeper mixed leagues, where managers are seeking outfield depth.
Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, the Marlins traded De La Cruz after moving Josh Bell and Jazz Chisholm Jr. as well. The 27-year-old is putting together a strong season in 2024. He's slashing .245/.289./417 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI in 105 games with the Marlins. His slash line could be better, but his power numbers have heavily improved this season. A move to a more hitter-friendly park should help his numbers as well. In exchange for De La Cruz, the Marlins will receive right-hander Jun-Seok Shim and infielder Garret Forrester.
Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz put together a three-hit night in Monday's 6-4 loss to the Mets. De La Cruz went 3-for-5 with two singles, a solo home run, and a stolen base. The 27-year-old turned on a seventh-inning Jose Butto offering, depositing it into the left-field bullpen for his 17th HR of the season. De La Cruz is now slashing .242/.287/.411 with 42 runs scored, 45 RBI, and three stolen bases in 426 plate appearances. He started the season on a promising note but has failed to hit for a good average starting in May onwards. Outfield is not as strong of a fantasy position as it has been in previous seasons, but fantasy managers should still have chances to find higher-upside options at this time.
Jesus Sanchez, Bryan De La Cruz Not Expected To Be Traded
The Miami Herald's Craig Mish writes that the Miami Marlins are unlikely to trade outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz by the July 30 trade deadline this summer. The Marlins could very well trade outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and left-hander Jesus Luzard (back), but not before Luzardo is healthy. Both Sanchez and De La Cruz are under contract through the 2027 season, making them attractive to contenders looking for extra years of control. It's also what makes them worth keeping for the struggling Marlins, though. Sanchez has been a below-average hitter with a .687 OPS, .239 average (61-for-255) with nine homers and a career-high six stolen bases, while De La Cruz has shown slightly more power with 15 long balls and 42 RBI while posting a .696 OPS and .237 average (84-for-354).
Alex Verdugo
• LF
•
Braves
|
