Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Optioned to Triple-A level
Rotowire
Velazquez was optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs on Thursday, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Velazquez drew 206 plate appearances on the North Side of Chicago last season, but he batted just .205/.286/.373 and is now on the outside looking in for a regular role after the club increased payroll with several significant signings over the winter.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: May be squeezed from roster
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Velazquez may be the odd man out with the Cubs adding several new players in the offseason, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report.
In the outfield specifically, Cody Bellinger is new, and he figures to start alongside Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini are also new, so there's more competition for the DH role as well. That could push Velazquez off the roster entirely, though he could resurface at some point if that's the case. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut in 2022 and ultimately appeared in 77 games for the Cubs.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Drives in four
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Velazquez went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and four RBI in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Reds.
The rookie outfielder got the start Sunday and capitalized with four RBI, his highest total since recording five on July 22. Two of the RBI came via a double in the first inning, and two came via a triple in the seventh. Velazquez has received sporadic playing time recently due to his uninspiring .203/.282/.374 slash line this season, but the big day Sunday may help his case to stay in the lineup the last week of the season.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Sitting again Sunday
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Velazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.
It's the third straight game on the bench for Velazquez, who appears to have fallen out of favor for playing time with a .449 OPS through 15 games in September. Michael Hermosillo is again starting in center field and batting eighth in Sunday's series finale.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Heads to bench Saturday
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Velazquez isn't in the lineup Saturday against Pittsburgh.
Velazquez has gone just 1-for-14 with a stolen base and eight strikeouts over his last five games and will be on the bench for the third time in the last four matchups. Patrick Wisdom will start in right field and bat third.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Sitting Friday
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Velazquez will sit Friday versus the Pirates.
Velazquez will take a seat Friday after he went 0-for-3 with two punchouts in Thursday's win. Michael Hermosillo is starting in center field and will bat ninth against Pittsburgh.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Not starting Wednesday
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Velazquez isn't in the lineup Wednesday against Miami.
Velazquez is getting a breather after he went 0-for-10 with six strikeouts over the last six games. Christopher Morel will take his place in center field and bat ninth.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Tallies RBI in win
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Velazquez went 2-for-4 with one RBI in Wednesday's win over the Mets.
Velazquez tallied an RBI single with two outs in the first inning to extend the Cubs' lead to six. The outfielder has been dreadful in his last 18 games, slashing .122/.217/.146 over 46 plate appearances. The 23-year-old rookie has been significantly more productive on the road, recording an .814 OPS over 94 plate appearances compared to a .474 OPS over 74 plate appearances at Wrigley Field.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Back in action Wednesday
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Velazquez (illness) is starting Wednesday against the Mets.
Velazquez was out of the lineup for the last four games after being scratched with an illness Friday. However, he'll start in left field and bat eighth during Wednesday's series finale against the Mets.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Still not starting
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Velazquez (illness) isn't starting Monday against the Mets.
Velazquez is out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game after he was scratched Friday due to an illness, but he appeared off the bench Sunday and went 0-for-1. It wouldn't be surprising to see him available in a depth capacity once again Monday, but Rafael Ortega will remain in center field and bat sixth.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Remains out of lineup
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Velazquez (illness) isn't starting Sunday against the Giants.
Velazquez was feeling under the weather Friday and was ultimately scratched from the lineup, and he'll remain out of the starting nine for a third consecutive game. Rafael Ortega is starting in center field and batting second.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Not starting Saturday
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Velazquez (illness) isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Giants.
Velazquez was scratched from Friday's lineup since he was feeling under the weather, and he'll be excluded from the starting nine for a second consecutive game Saturday. Christopher Morel is starting in center field and batting ninth.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Scratched from Friday's lineup
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Velazquez was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Giants due to an illness.
Velazquez was slated to start in left field Friday, but he was feeling under the weather prior to the game. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available off the bench, but Michael Hermosillo will enter the lineup in center field and bat seventh.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Goes deep Monday
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Velazquez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-3 win over the Nationals.
Velazquez made his fifth start in six games Monday, with the Cubs deploying him as their designated hitter. The increased playing time is a good sign for the rookie, but his opportunities at DH may be limited moving forward with the Cubs expected to activate waiver pickup Franmil Reyes ahead of Tuesday's game. Velazquez, who owns a .796 OPS on the season and has the ability to play every outfield spot, should at least to see semi-regular playing time while he continues to showcase a powerful bat.
Velazquez will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter and No. 7 batter in Monday's game against the Nationals.
Though he hasn't settled into a regular role at any one position, Velazquez's ability to fill in at all three outfield spots and DH has helped him earn more work of late. He'll stick in the lineup for the fifth time in six games, despite having gotten off to a 1-for-12 start to August. While the Cubs are in evaluation mode with their young prospects like Velazquez, he'll still likely need to show some improvement at the plate if he hopes to continue earning regular at-bats.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Blasts fifth home run of 2022
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Velazquez went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, two runs and a walk during Sunday's 4-3 win over the Phillies.
Velazquez drew the start in left field during Sunday's matchup and gave the Cubs some insurance with his home run in the top of the fourth inning. Although Sunday's start was his first since the All-Star break, the 23-year-old has homered three times over the three games since the Cubs returned to action. During that time, he's gone 4-for-6 with three homers, seven RBI and five runs. While Velazquez has had sporadic time in the starting lineup, it's possible that his recent surge in production will earn him more at-bats in the near future.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Starting Sunday
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Velazquez is starting in left field and batting ninth in Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Velazquez appeared as a pinch hitter each of the last two days, notably popping two home runs after entering Friday's contest. The 23-year-old will now start the series finale, and though Friday's outburst was nice, he's not seeing enough starts to be much of a fantasy asset in many leagues at this point. That could change if the rebuilding Cubs trade away some veterans and Velazquez sees his role grow.
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Cubs' Nelson Velazquez: Blasts two home runs Friday
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Velazquez went 2-for-2 with two home runs and five RBI in Friday's 15-2 win over the Phillies.
It's an impressive stat line, especially considering Velazquez didn't enter the game until the eighth inning, when he pinch hit for Rafael Ortega. The former proceeded to hit a two-run home run, and an inning later, he hit a three-run shot. Velazquez doubled his season home run total in the process and nearly doubled his RBI total, which was six before Friday. The 23-year-old is still primarily a bench player at this point, though he's shown flashes of promise during his rookie campaign.
