The Atlanta Braves could be on the verge of getting more offensive help. According to the Athletic’s David O’Brien, it’s looking likely that Alex Verdugo could be called up.
“All signs point to Verdugo joining the Braves this week,” O’Brien wrote in a recent column in The Athletic.
At the time of the article’s publishing on Sunday, O’Brien said it could happen during the road series in Toronto or when they start their next homestand on Friday.
The former Yankees outfielder is in the lineup for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. It’s likely that the upcoming homestand is when he’ll be back if the Braves decide he’s ready then.
All Verdugo has to do is hitch a 50-or-so-minute ride from Gwinnett to Truist Park if they wait for Friday instead of flying him all the way to Toronto for, at most, one game.
The Braves signed him late in Spring Training to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Since he arrived as late as he did, Verdurgo has been slowly building up to full-game shape in Triple-A.
Verdugo hasn’t played a full, nine-inning game yet. However, he has played all 14 innings of a doubleheader – seven innings each. In 22 Triple-A at-bats entering Tuesday, he is batting .180 with a .750 OPS, two home runs and four RBIs.
Michael Harris II has centerfield locked up, but the corners are anyone’s game. The only outfielder with an OPS over .600 heading into Tuesday is Eli White, who isn’t a starter. When looking at the usual starting outfield options, Harris is the OPS leader at .573.
Eventually, both Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jurickson Profar will be back in the lineup and manning the corner outfield positions this season. However, Profar is ineligible for the postseason due to testing positive for PEDs. Verdugo could be who the Braves call upon for postseason action if they did themselves out of this 5-11 hole they found themselves in.
They’re 5-4 since starting off 0-7. For what it’s worth, there has been progress, albeit slow progress. Another reliable bat wouldn’t hurt their chances of a turnaround.
