By the Los Angeles Dodgers trading Willie Calhoun to the Texas Rangers at the non-waiver deadline, it left Alex Verdugo as the preeminent position player on the Triple-A Oklahoma City roster. Verdugo is among the prospects the Dodgers have essentially refused to part with.
The 21-year-old factored heavily into Oklahoma City’s win Tuesday night against the Round Rock Express (Rangers affiliate). Verdugo went 2-for-3 with one double, one home run and three RBI in the 9-4 win.
The double was his 25th this season, which overtook Calhoun for most on the team. Verdugo comfortably sits third among Oklahoma City players with 61 RBI on the year.
He batted .346/.416/.463 with 18 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 42 RBI through 79 games during the first half of the season. Verdugo amassed a career-best 20-game hitting streak.
The second half hasn’t produced the same results, however, as he’s batting .226/.308/.398 over 26 games. Expectations nonetheless remain high for Verdugo and so too is anticipation over his arrival, particularly with Joc Pederson mired in a slump.
The Dodgers have not confirmed as much, but it’s likely Verdugo joins the team once active rosters expand in September. The timeline could be affected by Oklahoma City’s playoff hopes, as they are 6.5 games back of Triple-A Colorado Springs (Milwaukee Brewers affiliate) in Pacific Coast League American Northern division.
