Abimelec

Ortiz

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.

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.

Instead of just turning first base over to hot-hitting Andrés Chapparo with Luis García Jr. gone, the Nationals will take a longer look at Ortiz, who was part of the MacKenzie Gore trade with the Rangers. He was hitting .244/.348/.497 with 18 homers for Rochester. Of the two, he does have the better chance of being a useful starter against righties in 2026, and he could have some NL-only value now. Chaparro has made a case for an expanded role, but he still figures to work best as a platoon guy against lefties going forward.

Ortiz’s major league stint lasted just a few hours, but at least he did get to start and go 1-for-2 against the Yankees. The Nationals will add a pitcher in his place after the break.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 24-year-old slugger. Ortiz was slashing .235/.332/.481 with 16 homers, 59 RBI and a 60/31 K/BB ratio over 304 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester. He’s unlikely to see enough playing time to gain any sort of relevance from a fantasy perspective. He’ll serve as the club’s designated hitter and bat third against Yankees’ right-hander Will Warren in his MLB debut on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Ortiz, who was acquired from Texas in the MacKenzie Gore trade, had a slight chance of winning the first base job in D.C., but he’d gone just 3-for-22 in camp. He’ll be in line for a look this summer if he goes back to thriving in Triple-A; he hit .283/.388/.565 in 41 games after moving up to Round Rock last year.

Ortiz, who turns 24 next month, is the one guy the Nationals picked up here with a chance of offering some fantasy value in deep formats this year. The left-handed batter hit .257/.356/.479 with 25 homers between Double- and Triple-A last season, and while about two-thirds of that was Double-A, he actually fared much better in Triple-A (.283/.388/.565 in 41 games). Odds are that he’ll fall a little short of becoming a quality long-term option as a first baseman against right-handers, but time will tell. He should begin this year in Triple-A, but there isn’t much standing in his way if he impresses.

The Nationals are set to receive a package of five prospects in return: infielders Gavin Fien and Devin Fitz-Gerald, outfielder Yeremy Cabrera, first baseman Abimelec Ortiz and right-hander Alejandro Rosario. It’s a tremendous get for the Rangers as Gore will bolster the top of their rotation with a strong left-handed arm that they were solely lacking. The 26-year-old southpaw registered a 4.17 ERA and an 185/64 K/BB ratio across 159 2/3 innings with the Nationals in 2025. He’s under team control through the 2027 season.