Abimelec Ortiz sits on Tuesday against southpaw

In a rare start against a right-handed pitcher, Chaparro showed why he may deserve to play more often. He had three batted balls of at least 104 mph and was a thorn in the side of the Rangers’ pitchers all night. His three-run home run broke this game open in the seventh inning and he could be an intriguing deep league option should he get a bit more playing time.

Ortiz poked an opposite-field solo blast off Christian Scott to account for the Nationals’ only extra-base hit on the afternoon. The lefty-hitting first baseman came over from the Rangers in last winter’s MacKenzie Gore trade, and he’s essentially filled Luis García Jr.'s role since the trade deadline. Ortiz has started at first and hit second in every game against a right-hander since being called up. He has impressive batted-ball metrics through 14 games with Washington, and the only blemish in his profile is a poor walk rate. That doesn’t align with what he showed in the minors. There could be further upside if his patience improves and the remaining Statcast metrics hold.

Ortiz smacked a one-out single off of Kevin Gausman in the fourth inning and scored the game’s first run on an RBI double by Dylan Crews. He then broke the game open as he ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Gausman for a 414-foot (105.2-mph EV) three-run shot in the fifth inning. The 24-year-old is taking advantage of his opportunity here, slashing .333/.355/.767 with four homers and eight RBI in his first 31 plate appearances with the Nationals. He could be worth a look in deeper mixed leagues until he shows any signs of cooling down.

Ortiz began the game on the bench with southpaw David Peterson on the mound for the Cubs. In the sixth inning, he pinch hit for Andres Chaparro and hit a home run off right-hander Javier Assad. Ortiz’ home run was his third in his first 26 at-bats in the major leagues. While his playing time will continue to be limited to the strong side of the first base platoon, his power appears legitimate enough to be worth a twirl in mixed leagues.

The 24-year-old slugger tagged Reds’ starter Brady Singer for a 378-foot (102.4-mph EV) solo shot in the third inning that extended the Nationals’ edge to 3-1. He finished the day 2-for-3 and is now hitting .273/.304/.591 with a pair of homers and four RBI in his first 23 MLB plate appearances.

Chaparro entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and struck out. He redeemed himself in the eighth though, smacking a two-run double that capped off the scoring in the ballgame. For the season, the 27-year-old is now slashing .235/.348/.500 with six long balls and 28 RBI in 115 plate appearances with the Nationals this season.

Chaparro pinch hit in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and hit a two-run double to left field. He came up again in the eighth inning and had a two-out RBI single. Even after the trade deadline, it appears the Nationals are content to continue to use Chaparro mostly as a platoon bat against left-handed pitching. He’s hitting .229 with an .835 OPS and 26 RBI.

Ortiz was one of the big winners from a playing time standpoint at the trade deadline after the Nationals jettisoned Luis García Jr. to the Yankees. The 24-year-old should play everyday at first base against right-handed starters and offers enough over-the-fence pop to be an impactful addition in deeper mixed leagues, especially if he’s going to bat near the top of Washington’s lineup.

Ortiz, who homered during Monday’s series opener in Philadelphia, takes a seat with Andrés Chaparro getting the nod to face lefty Jesús Luzardo. The 24-year-old has an interesting fantasy skillset since he offers some over-the-fence pop and should bat near the heart of Washington’s lineup. He’s probably going to sit against most lefties over the final two months, but should do enough damage against right-handers to merit roster consideration in deeper mixed leagues.

Ortiz was recalled from Triple-A on Monday to be the starting first baseman with Luis Garcia now in New York, and he wasted no time in acclimating himself, hitting a first-inning home run off Aaron Nola. Ortiz will sit against left-handed pitchers, and may even be lifted in the middle of the game, as he was today, but he had 18 home runs in Triple-A this season and has clear power. Ortiz is a solid add in fantasy formats right now.