Ex-Red Sox Fan-Favorite May Benefit From Braves Scandal

There was a time in which it seemed like Alex Verdugo was going to be an important piece of the Boston Red Sox's core.

Boston acquired him in the Mookie Betts trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2020 Major League Baseball season. Verdugo spent four seasons in Boston and quickly became a fan-favorite, but his stint with the team didn't end as planned. He had a roller coaster of a 2023 season and then Boston traded him to the New York Yankees.

He had the worst season of his career so far last year -- at least offensively -- and it took a while for him to land a deal in free agency. He eventually landed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves and now he may end up getting a bigger role than initially expected.

Ronald Acuña Jr. isn't back yet and Jurickson Profar is now suspended for 80 games after violating the league's performance enhancing drugs policy, as shared by ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.

"Veteran outfielder Jurickson Profar tested positive for a banned substance and began an 80-game suspension Monday, dealing a major blow to an Atlanta Braves team navigating a nightmarish start to the season," Gonzalez said."Profar tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin, a performance-enhancing drug, according to Major League Baseball.

"The start of his suspension coincides with the beginning of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Profar will be eligible to return to the Braves on June 29 but, as part of MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program, will be ineligible for the 2025 postseason as part of his suspension. According to the Cleveland Clinic, hCG is a hormone that helps in the production of testosterone."

There's clearly a space now, will Verdugo get a shot?