Nats prospect Morales lands on MiLB injured list

It’s just the second time since Ortiz was called up on Aug. 3 that he’d been left out of the lineup against a righty. Ortiz is 3-for-26 with one RBI and a 9/1 K/BB in his last nine games, which helps explain his absence.

Making his first start in the last four games, Morales got the scoring started for the Nationals, taking Casey Mize deep for a solo homer in the second inning. It was the second home run in his first four career games after hitting 25 in Triple-A this season. He’s currently splitting first base and designated hitter duties in a short-side platoon, but offers excellent power upside if he’s given the chance to be an everyday regular.

Morales’ home run was the first of his career. He hit a solo shot off AJ Smith-Shawver in the third inning. Morales had 25 home runs at Triple-A prior to his call-up. If his bat stays hot, he could be an intriguing source of power down the stretch.

Morales is at DH and hitting fifth against the Braves in his major-league debut on Tuesday night. He needed to be added to Washington’s 40-man roster to protect him from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, so it makes sense the club will give him a look at the highest level to close out the year. The power-hitting 24-year-old launched 25 homers in 455 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. He doesn’t strike out a ton and could be a fantasy-relevant option at some point in the future if he manages to secure an everyday role with the Nationals. He’s a name to know for the future, but probably isn’t going to play enough to matter down the home stretch.

With rosters expanding, Morales is being called up to give the team another option at third base, first base, and designated hitter. The 24-year-old former 40th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is hitting .286 with 25 HR and 76 RBI at Triple-A Rochester. If not for a mysterious injury that put him on the MiLB injured list in July, Morales could have been up earlier this season. If he gets regular playing time, he has enough power to be fantasy relevant.

Morales returned from injury earlier this month and continues to hit. The 24-year-old is slashing .291/.370/.530 in 98 games at Triple-A with 24 home runs, 74 RBI, and five steals. Considering the Nationals are giving regular at-bats to Jose Tena and Jorbit Vivas, it might make sense for them to see what Morales can do as a 3B/DH option the rest of the way.

Morales had been sidelined for three weeks with an undisclosed injury, but he has gone 7-for-21 with two home runs and four RBI in his five games since returning. The 40th-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is hitting .297/.374/.544 in 89 Triple-A games this season with 23 home runs, 66 RBI, and five steals. He should get a shot with the Nationals at some point to end the year.

Morales is now up to 13 home runs and 36 RBI on the season to go along with a .344 batting average and a 1.016 OPS. He’s ready for a chance at big league pitching, but with Curtis Mead playing well at third base, the Nationals will need to use Morales as a DH or a first baseman.

We know Andres Chaparro got the call to replace Brady House on the active roster, but it’s only a matter of time before Morales is up to challenge for that spot. The 40th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is hitting .358/.440/.616 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI, and two steals in 175 plate appearances in Triple-A this season. There is little left for him to prove at this level.

The 24-year-old is now hitting .348/.435/.598 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in 39 Triple-A games. The power is intriguing, and a clear improvement from his 15 home runs in 128 games last year. He does have a 13 percent swinging strike rate and 72.6 percent contact rate overall; however, both of those were improvements on what he did last year. The bigger news is that Morales has been playing more first base lately, and the Nationals don’t have a clear first baseman at the MLB level. We could be on promotion watch.