Yohandy Morales slugs solo homer in loss to Padres

Morales has four homers in 43 plate appearances since being called up, giving him a .279/.279/.651 line. We’d say he’s still looking for his first walk, but that doesn’t really seem to be the case. Morales split time pretty evenly between first and third in the minors this year, but the Nationals have thus far only used him at first in the majors. It could set up a battle between he, Abimelec Ortiz and Andrés Chaparro at first base for the Nationals in spring.

Morales came off the bench to take Tigers reliever Drew Sommers deep with an opposite-field shot into the right-field seats in the eighth inning. It was his third long ball in 13 games since being called up earlier this month. He’ll continue to get opportunities against left-handed pitchers over the final week of the season. The over-the-fence pop is very real and he has a shot at fantasy relevance if he can carve out a semi-regular role with the Nationals.

Morales delivered a two-run double in the third inning that increased the Nationals’ early lead to 7-0. The 24-year-old is off to a terrific start to his MLB career, slashing .294/.294/.588 with two homers, six RBI and a stolen base in his first 34 plate appearances.

Morales got the start at first base on Sunday, batting fifth. He put the Nationals on the board for their first run with a base hit in the sixth inning and scored on a groundout. He then led off the eighth with a single and scored again on a triple. The 24-year-old slugger has performed well in his limited playing time, hitting .296/.296/.593 with a pair of homers.

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.

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.