Ruiz is out of the lineup Sunday versus the Royals.
Ruiz will retreat to the bench after going 1-for-8 with an RBI and a run scored over the first two games of the series with Kansas City. Riley Adams will get the start behind the plate and hit ninth Sunday while Ruiz rests.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Sitting out Thursday
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the lineup Thursday against the Padres.
It's a late-afternoon start in Washington following a night game Wednesday in which Ruiz went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, so the 24-year-old will receive some rest. Riley Adams will catch and bat eighth Thursday versus the Padres and lefty Blake Snell.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Sitting against Tigers
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's tilt against the Tigers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Ruiz will get a day of rest with Riley Adams hitting ninth and starting behind the plate. In the month of May, Ruiz has hit .167/.227/.317 with a pair of homers and eight RBI over 60 at-bats.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Clubs fourth homer
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-3 with a double, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-6 loss to the Tigers.
The catcher took Mason Englert deep in the seventh inning for his fourth long ball of the season, helping make the final score respectable after the Nationals had fallen into an 8-0 hole. Ruiz has had trouble building any momentum at the plate, slashing just .158/.222/.316 through 15 games in May, and it's possible the 24-year-old is already wearing down under a heavy workload -- only four other backstops in the league (Adley Rutschman, Willson Contreras, Salvador Perez and Tyler Stephenson) have more plate appearances in 2023 than Ruiz, but all four have seen more time at DH than he has.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Takes seat Sunday
Rotowire
Ruiz is out of the lineup for Sunday's regularly scheduled game against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Ruiz played out the final five-plus frames of Saturday's suspended game and finished 2-for-4 with a double, and it's not a surprise he's out of the starting nine for Sunday's full contest. Riley Adams will step in behind the plate, batting ninth.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Gets rest Wednesday
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Giants, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Ruiz will sit out the series finale after going 2-for-8 with a walk over the first two games against San Francisco. Riley Adams will be the starting backstop for Wednesday's contest and hit ninth.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Knocks in three runs
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in Saturday's loss to the Diamondbacks.
Ruiz put Washington on the scoreboard with a two-run double in the fourth inning, then kicked off an eventful ninth with a 431-foot solo shot to right field. The three RBI were a season high for the backstop, who had not knocked in any runs over his previous eight contests coming into Saturday. Ruiz notched his eighth multi-hit game of the campaign and raised his slash line to .248/.311/.376 through 119 plate appearances.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Sitting out early game
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the lineup for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Pirates.
Riley Adams will catch and bat eighth versus the Pirates and left-hander Rich Hill. Ruiz should be back in there for the later game against right-hander Vince Velasquez.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Swats solo homer
Rotowire
Ruiz went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's victory over the Mets.
Ruiz flashed some power Tuesday, swatting his second home run of the season off Jose Butto in the second inning. Ruiz has an impressive .288/.350/.425 slash line through 80 plate appearances, but his fantasy value is somewhat capped by the Nationals' offensive woes and Ruiz's typically modest power.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Resting Saturday
Rotowire
Ruiz will sit Saturday against the Twins.
Ruiz has handled a very heavy workload behind the plate this season, starting 17 of the team's first 19 games. Riley Adams will get the nod in Game 20.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Moves up to two spot
Rotowire
Ruiz has been moved up to the two spot in the Nationals' lineup for Friday's game against the Twins, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Ruiz and Dominic Smith are flip-flopping lineup spots, with Smith dropping down to sixth. The move seems less about what Ruiz (.689 OPS) has done and more about Smith's (.550 OPS) struggles as the Nats look for a spark.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Three hits in loss
Rotowire
Ruiz went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's loss to the Orioles.
The catcher accounted for half of the Nationals' six hits on the night, with none of his teammates collecting more than one. Ruiz has seen a heavy workload so far, starting 16 of Washington's 18 games, and while he's produced a respectable .262/.328/.361 slash line, he's managed only one homer, two runs and five RBI due in large part to the anemic lineup around him.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Pops first homer of 2023
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-1 loss to Atlanta.
The catcher took Kirby Yates deep in the ninth inning to ruin Atlanta's combined shutout bid, but it was about the only bright spot on the afternoon for the Nats. Ruiz is off to a good start at the plate, going 4-for-8 with a double and a homer through Washington's first two games. Even if the 24-year-old switch hitter has a breakout campaign, the feeble lineup around him dampens his fantasy potential.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Agrees to long-term extension
Rotowire
Ruiz and the Nationals have agreed to an eight-year extension that could be worth up to $50 million, Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post reports.
The contract reportedly includes two club options at the end of the deal. It will buy out two-pre arbitration seasons plus three arbitration years and then three seasons of free agency. The 24-year-old backstop was one of the key players dealt to Washington in the Trea Turner/Max Scherzer blockbuster, and prior to a season-ending groin injury last September, he slashed .251/.313/.360 with seven homers, six steals, 33 runs and 36 RBI through 112 games. Ruiz should be the everyday backstop for the foreseeable future with the Nationals.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Likely done for season
Rotowire
Ruiz (groin), who was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday, will be shut down for the next three weeks and is unlikely to return this season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Ruiz landed on the shelf earlier Friday with a testicular contusion after being struck by a foul ball, and it appears the injury will bring a premature end to his 2022 campaign. The 24-year-old ranks second in the league in games caught (106) this season and has a .251/.313/.360 slash line with seven home runs, 36 RBI and six stolen bases in 433 plate appearances. Ruiz could technically return during the final week of the season, but there's no reason for the last-place Nationals to rush him back for only a couple games. Riley Adams and Tres Barrera should split time at catcher down the stretch for Washington.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Ruiz was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a testicular contusion, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The 24-year-old was taken to the hospital after being struck in the groin by a foul ball Thursday, and he'll be unavailable for at least the next week and a half. It's unclear if Ruiz is expected to be sidelined beyond the 10-day minimum. Riley Adams is likely to step up to be Washington's primary catcher in the meantime, and Tres Barrera should also see some work.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Gets Wednesday off
Rotowire
Ruiz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game agains the Cardinals.
Riley Adams checks in behind the plate while Ruiz gets a well-deserved rest after catching each of the past five games. Ruiz produced six hits and two walks over the first four of those starts before an 0-for-4 showing in Tuesday's 4-1 loss.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Three-hit day Sunday
Rotowire
Ruiz went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's victory over the Mets.
Ruiz's entered the game mired in a 10-game stretch where he hit .235 with two runs and one RBI. The young catcher broke out of that slump in a big way, accounting for four of the Nationals' seven runs on the day. Sunday's effort is also his first multi-hit game since Aug. 19, and he is now slashing .250/.310/.354 in 421 plate appearances this season.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Resting Thursday
Rotowire
Ruiz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
The Nationals and Athletics are wrapping up their series with a day game, so Ruiz will get a breather after starting the past two nights. Ruiz is entrenched as Washington's No. 1 backstop, but he could still receive more rest days down the stretch with the Nationals having added a third catcher in Tres Barrera to the roster as one of their September call-ups.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Gets breather in series finale
Rotowire
Ruiz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.
Ruiz will take a seat for the third consecutive Sunday while Riley Adams receives a turn behind the plate. The 24-year-old will put a four-game hitting streak on hold while he heads to the bench.
