Braves' Alex Verdugo: Leads offense with four hits
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Verdugo went 4-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 4-3 win against the Twins.
The veteran outfielder went hitless in his 2025 debut Friday, but he was much more productive in his second game for Atlanta. Verdugo has stepped into the leadoff spot of a struggling offense and should bat there against most right-handed starting pitchers, at least until Ronald Acuna (knee) is ready to make his season debut, which could happen early in May.
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Braves' Alex Verdugo: Hitless in season debut
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Verdugo went 0-for-5 with a strikeout in Friday's win over the Twins.
The 28-year-old outfielder hit leadoff in his debut for Atlanta, but he was unable to reach base despite a couple hard-hit balls. Verdugo is hoping to regain his form after a rough 2024 campaign with the Yankees -- over the five seasons prior, he slashed .283/.338/.432 between the Dodgers and Red Sox.
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Braves' Alex Verdugo: Batting leadoff in Atlanta debut
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Verdugo will start in left field and bat leadoff in Friday's game versus the Twins.
Verdugo is not only being thrown right into the lineup for his Atlanta debut, but he's being placed at the top of the batting order, as well. The veteran outfielder should play regularly for his new club, at least against right-handed pitching. Verdugo slashed only .233/.291/.356 across 149 regular-season games for the Yankees in 2024.
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Braves' Alex Verdugo: Recalled to Atlanta
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Atlanta recalled Verdugo from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
Verdugo played nine games at Gwinnett after signing with Atlanta in late March, slashing .207/.303/.448 with two home runs and a 2:2 K:BB over 33 plate appearances. The 28-year-old is coming off a lackluster 2024 campaign that saw him post a .647 OPS across 149 regular-season contests, but with Atlanta's injuries and lack of production in the corner-outfield spots, along with Jurickson Profar's PED suspension, Verdugo should receive something close to everyday playing time.
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Braves' Alex Verdugo: Expected to join Atlanta this week
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Verdugo is expected to join Atlanta's active roster this week, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Verdugo has participated in seven games with Triple-A Gwinnett, going 4-for-22 with a pair of home runs, including one long ball on Sunday. It's uncertain whether Verdugo will join Atlanta on Monday for the start of its series in Toronto or on Friday when the club begins a homestand, but "all signs point" to the veteran outfielder being recalled this week, per O'Brien. Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz have both struggled, so Verdugo figures to immediately get an opportunity at regular playing time in the outfield corners for Atlanta.
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Braves' Alex Verdugo: Inks $1.5 million deal with Atlanta
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Atlanta signed Verdugo to a one-year, $1.5 million contract and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Verdugo's free-agent market has been quiet all winter, but he's finally managed to land a major-league deal a week before Opening Day. It's not clear when Verdugo might be able to play, and by the time he's ready Ronald Acuna (knee) may have already rejoined the Atlanta lineup, so the 28-year-old could be viewed purely as corner outfield insurance by Atlanta. Verdugo slashed only .233/.291/.356 across 149 regular-season games for the Yankees in 2024.
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Alex Verdugo: No MLB offers in free agency
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Verdugo has yet to receive an offer for a major-league deal since becoming a free agent in November, a league source tells Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.
Verdugo lacks the power profile most teams value in corner outfielders, but as an under-30 player with a career 101 wRC+ over parts of eight seasons in the majors, it comes as a surprise that he apparently hasn't been offered anything more than a minor-league deal throughout the winter and spring. Given his track record in the big leagues, Verdugo has understandably been unwilling to sign what he perceives as a below-market deal, but he may have to wait for a team's outfield depth to be tested by injuries early in the season before he gets an offer to his liking. While he waits for an opportunity, Verdugo has reportedly kept himself in playing shape by training on his own at his home in Arizona.
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Alex Verdugo: Still looking for new home
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Verdugo is running out of time to sign with a team before the start of the season, Matt Ehalt of the New York Post reports.
Verdugo had been linked to the Mets, Blue Jays, Astros, Angels and Pirates this offseason, but those clubs either no longer have interest or they're simply not willing to offer the veteran outfielder what he feels he's worth. The 28-year-old slashed only .233/.291/.356 across 149 regular-season games for the Yankees in 2024 but graded out as a plus defender in left field.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Will start again in Game 2
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Verdugo is expected to start in left field in Game 2 of the ALDS versus Kansas City on Monday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Verdugo started in Game 1 and came through with a big performance, going 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. His seventh-inning RBI single broke a 5-5 tie, providing what proved to be the winning run. Verdugo's expected start in Game 2 seems to indicate that he's currently the preferred option in left field over rookie Jasson Dominguez, as the Yankees are electing to deploy the lefty-hitting Verdugo over the switch-hitting Dominguez against southpaw Cole Ragans.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Expected to start in Game 1
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Verdugo is expected to start in left field for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Royals on Saturday, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.
Verdugo split starts in left field with Jasson Dominguez toward the end of the regular season after the latter was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Sept. 9. The duo had a similar slash line during that split, but it appears manager Aaron Boone will go with the veteran Verdugo for Game 1 of the ALDS. Verdugo's lone postseason appearance was in 2021 with the Red Sox, when he slashed .310/.383/.452 with one home run and six RBI across 47 plate appearances.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Homers off bench
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Verdugo hit a solo home run in his lone at-bat in Thursday's 10-1 win over the Orioles.
Verdugo has had to share left field with Jasson Dominguez in recent weeks. In September, Verdugo has gone 14-for-56 (.250) with two homers and five RBI over 17 games, which hasn't been enough to claw back playing time. Verudgo is at a .234/.293/.359 slash line with 13 homers, 59 RBI, 74 runs scored, 28 doubles and a stolen base over 147 contests this season.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Out of Tuesday's lineup
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Verdugo is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Royals, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Verdugo was in the lineup Monday in the first game after Jasson Dominguez's promotion and even homered in that contest. However, he's expected to lose significant playing time to Dominguez moving forward, and on Tuesday, it will be the latter manning left field for the Yankees.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Ends homer drought
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Verdugo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's loss to Colorado.
Verdugo plated New York's second and final run of the contest with a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning. The long ball snapped a 36-game stretch without a home run for the outfielder, who hit just .179 during that span. Verdugo's production has been modest in his first season as a Yankee, as he's slashing .227/.290/.358 with 11 homers, 54 RBI, 63 runs and one stolen base through 529 plate appearances.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Not in Sunday's lineup
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Verdugo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.
The 28-year-old started the previous 11 games and will sit Sunday while in the midst of a 2-for-18 slump. Top prospect Jasson Dominguez is up as the 27th man Sunday and is starting in left field, but Verdugo's playing time won't be affected moving forward since Dominguez is set to return to Triple-A after the contest.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Dropped to ninth in order
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Verdugo batted in the No. 9 slot for the first time in his career Thursday versus the Angels.
The drop down to the bottom of the order may not have been performance-related, as Verdugo is batting .304 with 14 runs, six doubles, three RBI and a 6:8 BB:K over his past 10 games after going 1-for-2 with a run and two walks Thursday. Rather, the lineup adjustment could have been due to the Yankees facing lefty Tyler Anderson, as Verdugo is hitting just .209 against southpaws this season. The veteran outfielder batted leadoff in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader and fourth in the nightcap, so manager Aaron Boone appears comfortable moving Verdugo around in the lineup. Despite his recent uptick in performance, he is posting the worst statistical season of his career, as each part of his .236/.296/.374 slash line would be the lowest mark he's recorded since he became a full-time player in 2019.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Starting in Game 1 of twin bill
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Verdugo (undisclosed) will start in left field and bat leadoff in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Angels.
Prior to Sunday's 4-3 win over Toronto, New York manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that Verdugo was being held out of the lineup due to being banged up, but the Yankees never seemed concerned about the outfielder missing additional time. Verdugo ended up benefiting from three full days to heal up, as the Yankees were off Monday and had Tuesday's series opener postponed. The Yankees could still look to rest Verdugo in the second half of the twin bill, but his inclusion in the lineup for the early game at least indicates that he's feeling healthy.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Feeling banged up
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Verdugo's absence from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays is a result of the outfielder being "a little beat up," Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Boone didn't go into any specifics regarding the nature of Verdugo's injury, merely noting that he expects the 28-year-old to be "all right" moving forward. Verdugo might just be tending to some general soreness while he's been used heavily of late, as he had started in each of the Yankees' last 34 games. With a day out of the lineup Sunday and a team off day Monday, Verdugo will most likely be ready to go for the start of the Yankees' three-games series with the Angels on Tuesday.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Getting afternoon off
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Verdugo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
Verdugo will head to the bench for the first time since June 21, ending a streak of 34 consecutive starts. With Verdugo taking a seat in what appears to be a maintenance day, Aaron Judge will fill Verdugo's usual spot in left field while Gleyber Torres takes over as the Yankees' leadoff man.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Scores three times in win
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Verdugo went 3-for-6 with a double and three runs scored in Saturday's 11-8 extra-inning win over the Red Sox.
Verdugo went just 5-for-48 over a 13-game span from July 7-24, but he's bounced back with a pair of multi-hit efforts against his former Red Sox teammates. The slump has had an impact on his season-long numbers -- he's at a .235/.290/.372 slash line through 102 contests after hitting as high as .261 on June 18. The outfielder has added 10 home runs, 21 doubles, one stolen base, 48 RBI and 45 runs scored this season.
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Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Homer, two hits in win
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Verdugo went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in a 14-4 win over the Red Sox on Saturday.
Verdugo hit a two-run home run in the third inning and then singled and scored in the fifth. He hit just .219 with one homer in June but has registered two multi-hit efforts in his past three games and continues to hit in the middle of the order. The outfielder's current .246 average is well below his .277 career mark, but he has contributed 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 42 runs scored across 364 plate appearances in 2024.
