CJ Abrams (ankle) returns to Monday’s lineup

Abrams swiped second base in the opening frame to reach the lofty 25-steal plateau for the fourth consecutive season. Cubs burgeoning star Pete Crow-Armstrong, the presumptive favorite for the NL MVP Award heading into the final month of the season, is the only other player with 25 homers and 25 steals this season. He put Washington ahead for good with an RBI double in the fifth inning and looked like his usual self following a four-game absence due to a sprained left ankle.

Abrams has made progress in his recovery from a sprained left ankle but still isn’t quite ready to rejoin the Nationals’ lineup. It’s possible that he could be available off the bench on Sunday. Nasim Nuñez will once again cover the shortstop position in his absence and will bat eighth for the Nats against Marlins’ right-hander Janson Junk.

Abrams takes a seat for the third consecutive game as he continues to deal with a sprained left ankle that he suffered earlier this week. The 25-year-old fantasy standout is expected to make the gradual transition to second base during the final few weeks of the season with Nasim Nuñez taking over temporarily until sizzling-hot top prospect Seaver King, who has homered eight times in 16 games since the start of August, is ready to take over the position. He figures to be ready the moment rosters expand in September, which makes him a worthwhile stash in deeper mixed leagues. The Nationals also have intriguing infield prospect Devin Fitz-Gerald, who came over in the MacKenzie Gore trade last offseason, making noise in the upper minors as well.

Nationals’ manager Blake Butera told reporters on Thursday night that X-rays on Abrams’ ankle came back negative for any fractures and that he’s just dealing with a minor left ankle sprain. They’re hopeful that he’ll be able to return to the lineup on Saturday. Nasim Nuñez will once again start in his place at shortstop on Friday night and will bat eighth against Marlins’ right-hander Ryan Gusto.

Nationals’ manager Blake Butera told reporters on Thursday that Abrams suffered the injury while trying to beat a tag at second base during the top of the ninth inning on Wednesday. The ankle swelled up on him overnight and he was limping around in the clubhouse on Thursday and may ultimately have imaging done to determine the severity of the issue. As of now, he’s considered day-to-day, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on this one.

If you’re going to take a day off on occasion, doing so against Rangers’ right-hander Jacob deGrom isn’t the worst idea in the world. Expect to see the superstar infielder make an appearance off the bench if the right situation arises later in the game. Nasim Nuñez will start in his place at shortstop and bat eighth for the Nationals on Thursday night in Arlington.

Well, this is an update. The phrasing of “eager” sure is doing a lot of work here where it seems like Abrams is not thrilled about being shifted from shortstop to second base. The article also shared that Abrams intends to workout as a shortstop this offseason and still sees himself as one moving forward. Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni also said that if he were Abrams, he’d be upset too. Abrams is 0-for-13 since manager Blake Butera first shared this plan on Friday and we’re expecting to see him starting at second any day now.

The plan is for Nasim Nunez to take over as the team’s primary shortstop. Butera noted that he already talked to Abrams about it last week and that the All-Star infielder was completely on board with the change. He’s still in there at shorstop on Friday night, so expect it to be a gradual transition. The move will add to Abrams’ already sky-high fantasy value as he’ll add second base eligibility to his repertoire at some point during this season and for the 2027 campaign as well.

Abrams hit one of three homers of Shota Imanaga for the Nationals, and this one gave Abrams his 29th homer of the season. The 25-year-old was not viewed as a significant power threat as a prospect, but obviously, the changes to his swing have paid off tremendously for the shortstop. He’s also driven in 91 runs, making it exceptionally likely he’ll reach triple digits for the first time in his five-year career.

Abrams hit a two-run single off Braves reliever Danny Young in eighth inning. The 25-year-old shortstop now leads all of baseball with 85 RBI. Abrams is hitting .290 with 28 homers, 69 runs and 19 stolen bases in what’s been a monster fantasy season.