The Nationals designated Alu for assignment Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
At one point, Alu looked like a good bet to carve out a super-utility role with the big club, but he posted just a .571 OPS in the majors last season and had an even worse .537 OPS this year at Triple-A Rochester. The 27-year-old could still draw some interest via trade or waivers from a club looking to add versatility.
The Nationals optioned Alu to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Alu got on base at a .409 clip over 11 Grapefruit League games, but the fact that he has two minor-league options remaining and slashed a pedestrian .226/.282/.289 over a larger sample of 175 plate appearances in the big leagues last season likely worked against him in his bid for a utility role with the Nationals. He should play on an everyday basis while he's with Rochester.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: On bench Sunday
Rotowire
Alu is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus Atlanta, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Alu started the last seven games but will end the season on the bench for Washington. The 26-year-old struggled to a .226/.282/.289 slash line with two homers, five steals and 16 RBI in the first 50 games of his big-league career this season.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Slugs second homer
Rotowire
Alu went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 10-6 win over Atlanta.
The 26-year-old has been holding down a near-everyday role since the beginning of August, but despite playing regularly, he hasn't offered much fantasy utility outside of very deep mixed leagues or NL-only leagues. His home run Friday was just his second of the season, and Alu's contributions in other categories (.231 average, 16 RBI, 14 runs and five stolen bases in 49 games) haven't been enough to compensate for the lack of power.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Alu isn't in the Nationals' lineup Thursday against Atlanta, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
With lefty starter Max Fried on the bump for Atlanta, Alu will take a seat for the beginning of Thursday's contest. His absence will allow Alex Call to start in right field and bat eighth.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: On bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Alu is not in the lineup Tuesday versus the White Sox.
Blake Rutherford, Jacob Young and Lane Thomas will start across the outfield for the Nationals as Luis Garcia covers second base. Alu, 26, has batted just .221/.262/.250 across his first 42 major-league games (146 plate appearances) this season with Washington.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: On bench, could lose playing time
Rotowire
Alu is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Alu will hit the bench after he had started each of the Nationals' last 14 games at second base or in left field, slashing .216/.273/.216 over that stretch. Given his lack of productivity, Alu could fade into more a utility role moving forward with September call-ups Luis Garcia and Travis Blankenhorn having seemingly emerged as the Nationals' preferred option at second base and in left field, respectively.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Sitting against southpaw
Rotowire
Alu isn't in the Nationals' lineup Friday against the Marlins, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Southpaw Braxton Garrett will begin Friday's contest on the mound for Miami, meaning the left-handed bat of Alu will stay put in the dugout. Ildemaro Vargas will start in left field while Alu sits, and Michael Chavis will get the nod at second base.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: On bench versus lefty
Rotowire
Alu is absent from the lineup Tuesday versus the Yankees.
Ildemaro Vargas is covering second base and Carter Kieboom is at third as the Nationals go with a right-heavy attack against left-hander Carlos Rodon. Alu has batted just .233/.266/.300 through his first 64 major-league plate appearances.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Not starting against lefty
Rotowire
Alu isn't in the Nationals' lineup Saturday against Philadelphia, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
With left-hander Cristopher Sanchez starting on the bump for the Phillies, the lefty-hitting Alu will retreat to the dugout to begin Saturday's action. Michael Chavis will fill in at the keystone and bat eighth.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Alu is out of the lineup again Thursday against the Red Sox.
Michael Chavis will start at second base and bat sixth as the Nationals take on another left-hander in Chris Sale. Alu has slashed just .235/.273/.314 across his first 55 major-league plate appearances and will probably continue to sit versus southpaws.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Heads to bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Alu is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Though Alu is a right-handed hitter, the Nationals have been treating him as a strong-side platoon infielder. He'll sit for the Nationals' second straight matchup with a left-hander, giving way to Michael Chavis at second base while southpaw James Paxton takes the hill for Boston.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Mashes first career homer
Rotowire
Alu went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 8-2 win over the A's.
After bringing home what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly, Alu socked his first career big-league homer in the eighth, a solo shot off Sam Long. Alu has started four straight games at second base for the Nats, but his production at the plate remains inconsistent -- since rejoining the big club at the beginning of August, the 26-year-old is batting .233 (7-for-30) with a 1:13 BB:K.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Day off Sunday
Rotowire
Alu is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Athletics.
Alu has started nine of the last 12 games, batting .273 with one home run, two steals and a 38.9 percent strikeout rate in 33 at-bats over that stretch. Ildemaro Vargas draws the start at third base, batting sixth.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Sitting Game 2
Rotowire
Alu isn't in the Nationals' lineup for Tuesday's nightcap against Philadelphia, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Alu went 1-for-4 and struck out twice during Game 1, and he'll take a seat to begin the second game. Michael Chavis will take Alu's place at second base and bat eighth.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: On bench Monday
Rotowire
Alu is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
The trade of Jeimer Candelario and the demotion of Luis Garcia to Triple-A Rochester last week have opened up two spots in the Washington infield, and Alu seems to have a hold on one of those everyday roles. He started in four of the previous five games, going 5-for-14 with a double, five RBI, two runs and two stolen bases. He'll cede his spot to Michael Chavis on Monday, but look for Alu to get the bulk of the starts at the keystone while he's wielding a hot bat.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: On base three times Sunday
Rotowire
Alu went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Reds.
The 26-year-old has started four of five games since his latest promotion -- two at third base and two at second -- and gone 5-for-14 with a double, two runs, five RBI and two steals. The starting jobs at both infield spots are up for grabs on the rebuilding Nats, so if Alu keeps producing, it could only be a matter of the coaching staff deciding where it likes him better defensively before he settles into an everyday role. He would seem to have little left to prove in the minors -- through 133 games at Triple-A Rochester the last two years, he's slashed .308/.365/.481 with 16 homers and 22 steals.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Productive in Tuesday's start
Rotowire
Alu went 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's loss to the Brewers.
Getting the start at third base and batting eighth, Alu scored his first career run and picked up his first career RBI in his sixth big-league game. With Jeimer Candelario now a Cub, the door is open for Alu to get a long look at the hot corner, but if the 26-year-old isn't consistently productive, the Nats could turn to another option such as Carter Kieboom (oblique) or even top prospect Brady House, who has a .302/.364/.496 slash line across three levels of the minors this season.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Gets look at third base
Rotowire
Alu is starting at third base and batting eighth Tuesday against the Brewers.
Alu will be making his first career start at third base, after his other four starts with Washington this season came in left field. The utility man was called up Monday after the Nationals traded Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs. Alu was slashing .298/.360/.428 with five home runs and 16 steals through 74 games this season at Triple-A Rochester and could get an extended look with the big club over the final two months of the 2023 campaign.
