Velazquez signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday.
Velazquez was claimed by Atlanta in early September after beginning the 2023 campaign in the Angels organization. He hit .217 with four runs, four RBI and a steal over 14 games at Triple-A Gwinnett but elected free agency in early November. However, after testing free agency for a few weeks, he'll rejoin Atlanta and could compete for a reserve spot on the team's Opening Day roster this spring.
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Andrew Velazquez: Becomes free agent
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Velazquez elected to become a free agent Friday.
Velazquez heads to the open market after being pushed off Atlanta's 40-man roster earlier this week. The 29-year-old infielder owns a weak .189/.244/.293 career major-league batting line and will likely have to settle for a minor-league contract leading into the 2024 season.
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Braves' Andrew Velazquez: Sent outright to Triple-A
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Atlanta outrighted Velazquez to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.
Velazquez was claimed off waivers from the Angels in early September but was immediately sent to Triple-A Gwinnett and finished out the season there. The 29-year-old journeyman shortstop is a career .189/.244/.293 hitter in 275 games (624 plate appearances) at the major-league level.
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Braves' Andrew Velazquez: Claimed by Atlanta
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Atlanta claimed Velazquez off waivers from the Angels on Tuesday and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Velazquez has typically performed well in the upper minors and plays excellent defense at shortstop, but the 29-year-old owns a career .189/.244/.293 batting line in 275 games (624 plate appearances) at the big-league level. He'll function as organizational infield depth down the stretch for the NL East leaders.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Heads back to Triple-A
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The Angels optioned Velazquez to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.
Velazquez will head back to the minors after the Angels reinstated Matt Thaiss (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. With the Angels summoning fellow infielders Kyren Paris and Michael Stefanic from the minors Friday as their two September call-ups, the team didn't have much of a need to keep Velazquez on hand as a utility man.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Homers as pinch hitter
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Velazquez hit a solo home run in his only at-bat in a loss to the Astros on Saturday.
Velazquez batted for Brandon Drury with the game out of hand in the ninth inning and belted his second homer of the year, a solo shot off Hector Neris. The speedster has seen very limited playing time of late -- this was his first plate appearance since July 30 and his first hit since he went 3-for-4 against Detroit on July 25.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Retreats to bench
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Velazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Zach Neto (back) will draw back in at shortstop Monday after missing seven of the Angels' last eight games, which likely spells an end to Velazquez's brief run as a regular in the lineup. Velazquez will move into a utility role and isn't expected to see frequent starting opportunities while both Neto and Luis Rengifo are available.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Swats first homer
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Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Sunday in a 7-5 victory versus the Pirates.
Velazquez hadn't started a game since before the All-Star break coming into the weekend, but he found his name in the starting lineup for the second straight day Sunday as a result of Zach Neto's back injury. Velazquez made the most of the opportunity, slugging his first homer of the season in the fifth inning. The speedy infielder is still slashing just .200/.308/.289 on the campaign, and with Neto possibly returning to action Tuesday, Velazquez will likely return to a bench role soon.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Relegated to bench role
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Velazquez hasn't started a game since prior to the All-Star break, though he's gotten into seven second-half contests as a pinch runner and/or defensive replacement.
Velazquez was starting at shortstop fairly frequently in the week leading up to the break, but that opportunity dried up when Zach Neto returned from the injured list. Velazquez has subsequently served exclusively in a reserve role, primarily as a pinch runner. Though he's seen action in seven games since the start of the second half, he's logged only three plate appearances, going 0-for-2 with a walk. The Angels have been taking advantage of his speed, however, as Velazquez has tallied three stolen bases in three attempts during the seven-game span. Given his career .192/.247/.290 slash line, it's not a surprise that Velazquez hasn't been able to nail down a starting role.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Brought up from minors
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The Angels recalled Velazquez from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.
He'll be joining the Halos as a replacement in the infield for Brandon Drury (shoulder), who was placed on the 10-day injured list. Velazquez started seven games with the Angels earlier this season and was a regular in the middle infield in 2022, but he may be ticketed for a utility role during his upcoming stint in the big leagues. Eduardo Escobar, Luis Rengifo and David Fletcher all look to be ahead of Velazquez in the pecking order for playing time at second base and shortstop while Drury and Zach Neto (shoulder) are on the IL.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Nabs another steal
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Velazquez entered as a pinch runner in Tuesday's win over the White Sox, logging a stolen base and scoring a run.
Velazquez hasn't gotten a start since Saturday, but he's still making an impact, swiping a bag as a pinch runner twice in the past three days. The shortstop has demonstrated excellent acumen on the basepaths over the past two seasons, collecting 23 thefts on 25 attempts in 135 games. However, he's batting just .198 during that span, which has prevented him from holding onto an everyday role.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Steals base as pinch runner
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Velazquez notched a stolen base in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies.
Velazquez ran for David Fletcher and swiped a bag in the eighth inning. With Zach Neto (oblique) on the injured list, Velazquez had a chance to pick up regular playing time at shortstop, but it hasn't come to pass, as Fletcher has started the last two games there. Velazquez remains a solid speed threat with five steals this season, but he's batting just .227 (5-for-22) across nine contests, so he'll have to get his bat going to solidify his place in the lineup.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Nabs two thefts Saturday
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Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run and two stolen bases in a loss against the Royals on Saturday.
Since being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, Velazquez has accumulated three steals in three games while starting at shortstop in place of the injured Zach Neto (oblique). Velazquez was a perfect 7-for-7 in theft attempts in the minors before his promotion, and he swiped 17 bags in 18 attempts with the Angels last season, so it may be tempting for fantasy managers in need of steals to look his way. However, it's worth keeping in mind that he's a .192 career hitter with a 33.9 percent strikeout rate in the majors.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Reinstated from minor-league IL
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Velazquez was reinstated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Velazquez will return to Triple-A Salt Lake after missing over a month of action while on the 7-day IL with an unspecified injury. The 28-year-old has struggled to a .182 average with two homers, six RBI, 11 runs scored and five stolen bases over 66 at-bats in 21 games with Salt Lake this season. With David Fletcher (personal) being placed on the bereavement list and Taylor Jones (undisclosed) heading to the 7-day IL on Tuesday, no additional transaction was required to open a spot for Velazquez on the Triple-A roster.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Rehabbing in Complex League
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Velazquez (undisclosed) began a rehab assignment with the Angels' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate last Wednesday and has gone 3-for-10 with a double, a triple, a walk, two RBI and two runs through three games.
Velazquez has been sidelined at Triple-A Salt Lake since late April due to an unspecified injury. The 28-year-old infielder spent nearly all of the 2022 campaign in the big leagues, but he was optioned to the minors in spring training coming off a season in which he slashed a dismal .196/.236/.304 with a 34.1 percent strikeout rate across 349 plate appearances with the Angels.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: On minor-league IL
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Velazquez (undisclosed) was placed on the minor-league 7-day IL on Tuesday, per the Salt Lake Bees' official site.
The exact nature of Velazquez's injury hasn't been clarified, though the issue appears to have occurred on a swing he took in the fifth inning during a game April 28. Velazquez left that contest early and hasn't played since. The shortstop is slashing .182/.316/.348 with two homers, six RBI and five stolen bases over 82 plate appearances with Salt Lake this season.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Optioned to Triple-A level
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Velazquez was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake by the Angels on Friday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Velazquez is excellent defensively, but he holds a career .192/.240/.295 batting line in 530 total plate appearances at the MLB level. He played in 125 games for the Angels in 2022, and it's a better sign for the team's chances in 2023 that he will not be part of the Opening Day roster.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Nabs start in center field
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Velazquez is starting in center field for the Angels in Monday's Cactus League contest versus the Guardians, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Velazquez has played the outfield a decent amount in the minors, but his major-league experience is almost exclusively on the infield. However, the 28-year-old's best chance to be useful to the Angels is as a super utility player so he's going to see some action all over the field this spring.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: Done with switch hitting
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Velazquez said Monday he will no longer switch hit and will instead exclusively bat right-handed, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Velazquez briefly dropped switch hitting last season before a season-ending knee injury, and he'll now hit exclusively right-handed going forward. The 28-year-old had a .540 OPS across 125 games last season, with similarly poor results against both types of pitcher. Velazquez isn't guaranteed a spot on the Halos' Opening Day roster, though his elite defense at shortstop and speed could make him a solid bench piece.
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Angels' Andrew Velazquez: In Sunday's lineup
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Velazquez (knee) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Sunday's spring game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Velazquez underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in September but is ready for Cactus League action. The 28-year-old had a .540 OPS in 125 games last season and should serve as a reserve shortstop for the Angels in 2023.
