Andrés

Chaparro

Both hits came off Cristopher Sánchez. Chaparro has slowed down some, but his .258/.356/.517 line through 205 plate appearances is still awfully nice, and he’s back playing a little more of late; he’s started four of the Nationals’ last five games after being included in the lineup in just three of the previous seven games.

It’s nothing more than a routine day of rest for the 24-year-old outfielder. James Wood will shift to right field with Andres Chaparro drawing a start as the Nats’ designated hitter. He’ll bat third against Angels’ inconsistent right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.

Lile will get a rare night off with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi toeing the slab for the Angels in this one. Dylan Crews will slide over and cover left field in his place while James Wood covers right field and Andres Chaparro draws a start as the Nationals’ designated hitter and will bat second.

Continuing to impress in a part-time role, Chaparro was the extent of the Nationals’ offense in a game where they were thrashed 13-1. He accounted for three of their seven total hits, two of their four extra-base hits, and drove home their lone run with a solo home run. They’ve been sneaking him into the lineup more so against right-handed pitchers lately because they’ve only faced one lefty in their last 13 games and Chaparro’s role had been to be a lefty-masher. It’s tough to ignore a .906 OPS though.

The official Nationals Communications Department tweeted out six days ago about Chaparro being first in the majors in slugging and OPS since the All-Star break. Alas, actual Nationals management couldn’t care less. They’re probably right about Chaparro not being a long-term regular, but he is hitting .343/.410/.686 in his very limited action against righties this season, and it’s interesting that the team just doesn’t really want to give him a chance. Of course, it’s not helping right now that CJ Abrams is again DHing due to his ankle injury; Chaparro might have gotten the nod there tonight if Abrams was at short or second.

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 takes a seat with lefty Shota Imanaga toeing the rubber for Chicago in this one. He’ll continue to sit in favor of Andrés Chaparro against most left-handers over the final few weeks of the season. The 24-year-old rookie has gone deep twice in seven games since returning to the majors last week. He’s at least worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues based on his power upside.

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, 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.