Braves add veteran OF Alex Verdugo to active roster

Four weeks after he was signed as a free agent, the Atlanta Braves added outfielder Alex Verdugo to the active roster Thursday.

in a corresponding move, outfielder Bryan De La Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Verdugo, 28, was not signed until the latter portion of spring training and played nine games at Gwinnett where he batted .207 with a double, two homers and four RBIs.

With the New York Yankees last season, Verdugo batted .233 with a .647 OPS, 13 home runs and 61 RBIs in 149 games.

In 14 playoff games this past fall, Verdugo batted .208 with a .622 OPS, one home run and eight RBIs. He struck out to end the World Series as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the 2024 title.

Verdugo, 28, has batted .272 with a .742 OPS, 70 home runs and 316 RBIs in 800 career games with the Dodgers (2017-19), Boston Red Sox (2020-23) and Yankees.

De La Cruz, 28, was batting .191 (9-for-47) with one extra-base hit over 16 games with the Braves this season. In five seasons with the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Braves, he is a career .251 hitter with 58 home runs and 208 RBIs in 491 games.

--Field Level Media

(This story has been refiled to change the picture)