Bryan

De La Cruz

The 28-year-old slugger saw just 50 plate appearances at the big league level in 2025, slashing .191/.240/.213 with zero RBI and an 18/3 K/BB ratio for the Braves. He delivered a much more palatable .263/.331/.431 slash line with 15 homers and eight steals in 102 games this season at the Triple-A level. He’ll add solid outfield depth for the Phillies.

De La Cruz wound up spending the rest of the season toiling away at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after being claimed off waivers from Atlanta in early May. The 28-year-old outfielder hit .191/.240/.213 during a 16-game stint with Atlanta, but hit an encouraging .263/.331/.431 with 15 homers and eight steals in 102 games this season at the Triple-A level.

The 28-year-old outfielder now has to choose whether or not to accept that outright assignment or explore the open market. De La Cruz struggled in his limited big league action with the Braves this season, slashing .191/.240/.213 with zero homers, zero RBI and an 18/3 K/BB ratio over 50 plate appearances.

Bryan De La Cruz has joined the Yankees and will be activated if Grisham goes on the IL, but it looks like the club will hold off for now. The Yankees have Cody Bellinger in center and Jasson Domínguez in left field today.

De La Cruz will add to the Yankees’ depth in the outfield. The 28-year-old struggled mightily in his time with Atlanta as seen in a slash of .191/.240/.213, but he has had some success — in limited spurts — at the highest level. It’s hard to see him being a fantasy relevant player in 2025, however.

De La Cruz scuffled and then some in his 50 plate appearances before the demotion with a slash of .191/.240/.213. He’ll head to Triple-A with Alex Verdugo “ready” for a call-up to the Atlanta outfield. De La Cruz will probably be back at some point over the late spring.

It’s merely an extra off day for Ozuna, who is dealing with a minor leg issue, according to manager Brian Snitker. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his status over the remainder of the week, but Snitker downplayed concern about the issue prior to Monday’s contest in Toronto. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be Bryan De La Cruz taking a turn at DH on Monday night.

Atlanta’s nightmarish start to the 2025 campaign continues. Profar put together an unexpected late-career breakthrough campaign last year with the Padres, which now has some additional context, before signing a three-year, $42 million in the offseason to take over as the Braves’ everyday left fielder. His absence also creates a void in the leadoff spot. The club’s recent outfield additions, most notably Alex Verdugo and Stuart Fairchild, make a lot more sense with Profar set to miss the entire first half of the season. He’s also ineligible for postseason play, if the Braves make it that far. It’ll be some combination of Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz getting the first shot at replacing him in Atlanta’s lineup. It remains to be seen whether the Braves will finally commit to putting Michael Harris II in the leadoff spot. We’ll see.

Fairchild is out of options, so he’ll join the major league club. That seems like bad news for Bryan De La Cruz, who does have options and who fills a similar role as a platoon outfielder against left-handers. It’s possible the Braves could demote Eli White instead, but that seems unlikely. Fairchild, 29, hit just .215/.286/.368 for the Reds last season, but he was still a surprise exclusion from this year’s roster. He’s a lifetime .248/.346/.409 hitter against lefties, and he’s a big defensive upgrade from De La Cruz.

X-rays were negative on Profar’s left wrist after he jammed it on a sliding catch in Saturday’s spring training game. The 32-year-old left fielder is traveling to Atlanta for additional imaging, including a CT scan, the results of which will be known on Monday. If Profar, who signed a three-year deal with the Braves this past offseason, misses significant time early in the season, it would open up regular playing time for Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz.