Blake

Rutherford

Rutherford has elected free agency and will test the free agent waters this offseason following his removal from Washington’s 40-man roster. The 26-year-old former first-round pick got into 16 games this season for the Nationals. He’ll presumably find a new opportunity somewhere else as organizational outfield depth.

Rutherford winds up back in the majors with Travis Blankenhorn (plantar fasciitis) landing on the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s contest against the Nationals.

The 26-year-old outfielder has struggled in his limited action at the big league level this season — slashing .182/.206/.182 with no extra-base hits, two RBI and a 10/1 K/BB ratio over 34 plate appearances. He’ll look to get back on track at the Triple-A level.

With Stone Garrett on the 10-Day IL, it will be Call who gets, well, the call to take his place in the starting lineup. Garrett is likely done for the season, which means that Alex Call has a chance to re-emerge as a near every day player for Washington down the stretch. The 28-year-old is hitting just .198/.304/.293 in 105 games with six home runs and nine steals, so he’ll need to hit better to hold off Blake Rutherford, who could also emerge as an every day player with Lane Thomas shifting to center field.

The Nationals turning Stone Garrett into a full-timer could have been bad news for Rutherford, but it’s thus far led to Alex Call sitting against right-handers. Rutherford has remained in the lineup and gone 6-for-11 in his last three starts. He was 0-for-16 prior to that. Although he’s made a great deal of progress this year, it’s doubtful that Rutherford will offer much fantasy value as a platoon guy batting at the bottom of the Nationals lineup.

This will be the fifth start for the 26-year-old since being called up on Friday, and he appears to be on the strong side of a platoon with Stone Garrett. Despite not collecting a hit so far with the Nationals, Rutherford hit .345 with 11 home runs and seven steals in 62 games across Double-A and Triple-A this year. He had once been a top prospect with the New York Yankees before being traded to the White Sox and then having a few injury setbacks. His first hit with the Nationals will be his first MLB hit.

An expected move, Rutherford earned the call-up after slashing .345/.395/.585 with 11 homers and seven steals over 62 games between Double- and Triple-A this year. The 26-year-old former Yankees farmhand will replace Corey Dickerson in the Nationals’ outfield and figures to see part-time duty the rest of the way.

Downs and Rutherford, a pair of former top prospects in other organizations, get the call following Washington’s decision to demote starting second baseman Luis García and release corner outfielder Corey Dickerson.

It’d be something if Rutherford turned into a solid major leaguer after 5 1/2 years of floundering in the White Sox system. The 2016 first-round pick of the Yankees, who was traded to the White Sox a year later, has hit .350/.401/.593 with 11 homers in 60 games between Double- and Triple-A this year. He could get a callup if the Nationals trade an outfielder.

Rutherford, 25, was a first-round pick (18th overall) by the Yankees from the 2016 draft. He spent the entire 2022 season at Triple-A Charlotte for the White Sox slashing a healthy .271/.311/.428 with 13 homers, 58 RBI, eight stolen bases and a 91/21 K/BB ratio over 467 plate appearances. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him make his big league debut at some point during the 2023 season.