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
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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: Dealing with back tightness
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Abrams has been held out of Grapefruit League action for a few days because of back tightness, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams is still able to go through drills, including hitting and fielding. It doesn't appear to be anything that could keep him out of commission much longer. Expect Abrams to be able to return to games within the next few days.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Swipes two bags Tuesday
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Abrams went 1-for-2 with a run scored and two stolen bases in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.
The shortstop batted sixth in this one with catcher Keibert Ruiz getting a look in the leadoff spot, an arrangement that doesn't seem likely to happen much during the regular season. Abrams has gone 7-for-26 at the plate this spring with a rough 0:10 BB:K, and there's no guarantee he hits near the top of the order if he can't get on base more often, but he's a perfect 4-for-4 on steal attempts during Grapefruit League action. The 22-year-old swiped 21 bags on 29 attempts across all levels in 2022, and with a consistent starting spot for the rebuilding Nationals, he could crack 20 steals in the majors this season.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Flashes as leadoff hitter
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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
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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.
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.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Comes up big Wednesday
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Abrams went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning victory over Atlanta.
Abrams recorded three of Washington's five hits Wednesday, including a walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning. The multi-hit effort was his third in his last six games, during which he has driven in two runs, scored five times and stolen three bases. The rookie is slashing .243/.280/.323 through 281 plate appearances this season.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Nabs sixth steal
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Abrams went 0-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 8-2 loss to Atlanta.
The 21-year-old is beginning to flash his speed, swiping three bags in the last three games to give him six steals on the season. Abrams is slashing .289/.298/.398 through 84 plate appearances in September with five doubles, two triples, six RBI and 12 runs as he solidifies his spot as the Nationals' shortstop of the future.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Three hits, two steals Sunday
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Abrams went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in a 6-1 victory Sunday in Miami.
Abrams singled and stole second in the second and drove in a run with a single and came around to score in the eighth. He was credited with another stolen base in the fourth inning after a defensive miscommunication led to him stealing home. It was his second three-hit performance of his career and the first time he stole two bases in a big-league game. The 21-year-old has put together a strong September, producing a .307/.316/.427 slash line with seven extra-base hits and three stolen bases.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Two hits, two runs Thursday
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Abrams went 2-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's victory over the Cardinals.
After receiving the day off Wednesday, Abrams picked up right where he left off, with two hits Thursday. He is now batting .360 (9-for-25) in his last six games to improve his slash line to .230/.274/.305 on the season. He has also scored five runs in that stretch, as he has been somewhat of a second leadoff hitter batting mostly in the ninth spot in the order.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Sitting against southpaw
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Abrams is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.
With southpaw Jordan Montgomery on the bump, the lefty-hitting Abrams will give way to Ildemaro Vargas at shortstop. Abrams started each of the past five games and went 7-for-20 to bring his batting average up to .226 for the season.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Collects four hits
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Abrams went 4-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored in Monday's 6-0 win over St. Louis.
Abrams finally broke out with a monster game Monday, He was slashing just .177/.215/.194 through 19 games as a National prior to his four-hit effort. He's gone 7-for-12 over his last three games, raising his season slash line to .229/.275/.302 through 209 plate appearances.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Steps out of lineup
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Abrams is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the A's.
Abrams has started all 14 games since being called up by Washington on Aug. 15, but he'll take a seat Thursday after posting a .160/.208/.180 slash line in 50 at-bats. Ildemaro Vargas will shift to shortstop while Cesar Hernandez starts at the hot corner.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Slides to ninth spot
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Abrams will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Tuesday's game against the Athletics, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The Nationals aren't yet ready to pull the plug on Abrams as their everyday shortstop, but the 21-year-old rookie hasn't fared as well as Washington had hoped when they called him up from Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 15. After batting just .136 with no walks and a 26.7 percent strikeout rate in 12 games since his promotion, Abrams will be moved down in the order after previously slotting between the sixth and eighth spots in the lineup.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Moves up to majors
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The Nationals recalled Abrams from Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Abrams was assigned to Rochester after being acquired from the Padres earlier this month, but he earned another trip to the big leagues by going 9-for-27 (.333) over his last seven games at the Triple-A level, and he'll get his chance with Luis Garcia out with a groin injury. Abrams didn't play on an everyday basis for the Padres earlier this season, but with the Nationals out of the playoff hunt, he should be a fixture in Washington's lineup the rest of the way.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Call-up imminent
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Abrams will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 21-year-old was dealt from the Padres to the Nationals in early August as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego, and Abrams will join the major-league club Monday since Luis Garcia (groin) will require a trip to the injured list. Abrams appeared in 46 big-league games with the Padres earlier in the season, and he slashed .232/.285/.320 with two homers, 16 runs, 11 RBI and a stolen base. He should have plenty of chances to earn at-bats while Garcia is sidelined.
