Abrams is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest versus Philadelphia.
Abrams will get a breather after going 1-for-4 in each of the first two games against the Phillies over the weekend. The 22-year-old gets a day of maintenance, with Ildemaro Vargas starting at shortstop and hitting seventh.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Swats sixth homer
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Abrams went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the Dodgers.
The 22-year-old continues to struggle with his consistency. Abrams hasn't had a multi-hit performance since May 15, batting .174 (8-for-46) over his last 13 games with a 2:13 BB:K, and on the season he's slashing .236/.288/.404 with six homers and six steals in 52 contests. He remains a key part of the Nationals' rebuild, but his sketchy plate discipline is still holding him back.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Gets breather Sunday
Rotowire
Abrams is out of the lineup Sunday versus the Royals.
Abrams is one of several Nationals regulars who will receive a day of rest in the series finale. Ildemaro Vargas will replace Abrams at shortstop and bat sixth.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Swipes sixth bag
Rotowire
Abrams went 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Padres.
Facing the team that selected him sixth overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, Abrams made a nuisance of himself from the bottom of the Nationals' order. The walk was a rarity for the 22-year-old shortstop -- his last one came April 23 -- and his inability to control the strike zone continues to limit his production. Through 20 games in May, Abrams is slashing .269/.279/.448 with three of his five homers and three of his six steals on the year.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Pops fifth homer
Rotowire
Abrams went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Padres.
The shortstop got the Nationals on the board by taking Yu Darvish deep in the fifth inning. Three of Abrams' five homers on the year have come in his last nine games, a stretch in which he's also banged out three doubles while batting .265 (9-for-34) with a steal, six runs and eight RBI.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Out of lineup Sunday
Rotowire
Abrams is not in the starting lineup against Detroit on Sunday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Abrams will get a day of rest for Sunday's finale against the Tigers after picking up a hit and scoring a run in each of the first two contests. Ildemaro Vargas will handle shortstop duties while hitting seventh against Joey Wentz and Detroit.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Another multi-hit game
Rotowire
Abrams went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and one steal in Monday's 10-3 win over the Mets.
Abrams recorded his third straight multi-hit game Monday, and during that stretch, he's hit two home runs and collected five RBI. Across 39 games (142 plate appearances), the shortstop is slashing .258/.305/.417 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 16 runs scored. He's also 5-for-7 in stolen-base attempts. Despite some occasional struggles, Abrams figures to be an everyday player for the Nationals, who are currently in last place in the NL East.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Takes seat against Giants
Rotowire
Abrams is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Abrams will get a night off after a rough game against the Giants on Tuesday where he went 0-for-4 and made an error. Ildemaro Vargas will get the start at shortstop in Abrams' place and will hit eighth.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Riding pine Saturday
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Abrams is not in Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams is hitting .323 with one home run and one steal over his last 10 games. Ildemaro Vargas is starting at shortstop and batting ninth.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Three hits in win over Cubs
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Abrams went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Cubs.
The 22-year-old shortstop has been flirting with the Mendoza Line most of the season, but Abrams appears to have a found a groove at the plate. Over his last 15 games, he's slashing .275/.315/.431 with two doubles, two homers, seven runs and nine RBI, solid production from a player who routinely hits near the bottom of one of baseball's weakest lineups.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Smacks go-ahead grand slam
Rotowire
Abrams went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Thursday's 9-8 loss to the Mets.
Abrams started out the contest with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout before coming up with the biggest swing of the game, giving the Nationals an 8-7 lead in the eighth frame with a grand slam. The shortstop has been quite productive as of late, having hit two home runs in his last five games while also driving in eight during that span.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Hits three-run homer in win
Rotowire
Abrams went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 10-4 win over the Twins.
Abrams doubled the Nationals' lead to 8-2 with a three-run shot off Simeon Woods Richardson in the seventh inning. It's the first homer of the season for the shortstop and he's brought home eight runs over 19 games and 66 at-bats. Abrams has been shaky over the first three-plus weeks of the season, but his speed (3 steals) has brought glimpses of fantasy hope in that short timeframe.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Flashes wheels Friday
Rotowire
Abrams went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases in Friday's loss to the Guardians.
The young shortstop also got on base on a hit-by-pitch and an error by Jose Ramirez, giving him plenty of opportunities to cause some havoc on the basepaths. Abrams has a poor .205/.300/.341 slash line through 13 games to begin the season, but he's now 3-for-4 on steal attempts. The rebuilding Nationals will live with the 22-year-old's growing pains as a hitter.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Steps out of lineup
Rotowire
Abrams is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.
Abrams went 0-for-7 and committed three errors in the first two games of the season, and he'll head to the bench for Sunday's series finale. Ildemaro Vargas will take over at shortstop and bat eighth.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Shows nerves Thursday
Rotowire
Abrams went 0-for-4 with a strikeout while also committing three errors in the field during an Opening Day loss to Atlanta.
Getting the start at shortstop and batting ninth in the order on his first MLB Opening Day, Abrams' first error could easily have been ruled a hit as it came on a scorching grounder by Ronald Acuna. There was no excuse for Abrams' two airmailed throws later in the game. The Nationals are rebuilding in 2023 and will live with Abrams' growing pains, but the 22-year-old might have a long way to go before he'll be a reliable big-league player -- or a reliable fantasy asset.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Back in action Sunday
Rotowire
Abrams (back) is starting at shortstop and batting seventh in Sunday's spring game against the Tigers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams has been held out of game action the past few days due to back tightness, but he'll rejoin the lineup after going through a full workout Saturday with no issues. The 22-year-old had a .604 OPS in his first taste of the big leagues last season but will receive another chance to establish himself as Washington's shortstop to open 2023.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Expected back Sunday
Rotowire
Abrams (back) went through a full workout Saturday and is expected to rejoin the lineup Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The young shortstop has been sidelined since Tuesday due to back tightness. Abrams has gone 7-for-26 (.269) in Grapefruit League play with four steals in four attempts, but his 0:10 BB:K indicates he's still got some work to do to realize his potential. The 22-year-old was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft before being one of the headliners in the package the Padres shipped east for Juan Soto.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Flashes as leadoff hitter
Rotowire
Abrams went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Hitting leadoff in the Nationals' spring opener, Abrams displayed the speed and contact skills that made him the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft as well as a key part of the package Washington got back from San Diego in last year's Juan Soto trade. The 22-year-old shortstop could wind up hitting at the top of the order for the Nats in 2023, but he'll need to prove he can get on base more consistently after stumbling to a .280 OBP over 302 plate appearances in his big-league debut last season.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Candidate for top of lineup
Rotowire
Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Friday that Abrams could work his way to the top of the batting order with a strong spring, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams will hit leadoff in the Nats' Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Cardinals, though Lane Thomas is probably going to have that role when the real games begin. Abrams seems to be a potential option for the No. 2 spot if he displays enough improvement in the on-base department over the next five weeks. The 22-year-old slashed just .246/.280/.324 across his first 302 major-league plate appearances last season between San Diego and Washington.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Managing shoulder injury
Rotowire
Abrams exited Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Mets with a left shoulder injury and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams went 1-for-5 with a steal across the two games before he suffered the injury on a diving attempt in the field during the nightcap. Given he has an MRI scheduled Wednesday, the 22-year-old shouldn't be expected to be available for the series finale in New York. Assuming that's the case, Abrams will finish 2022 with a .246/.280/.324 slash line, two home runs, seven stolen bases, 21 RBI and 33 runs across 302 plate appearances split between the Nationals and Padres.
