Nasim

Nuñez

No word yet on the reason for the swap. Nasim Nuñez takes over at shortstop with CJ Abrams moving to DH and José Tena getting the nod at second base.

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.

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.

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.

It looks to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 25-year-old speedster, though he could still make an impact with his legs off of the bench. Jose Tena will start in his place at second base and bat eighth against Braves’ right-hander Bryce Elder.

Nuñez continues to pile up the steals, and the pair today give him 37 on the season with five of those coming in the month of July. They unfortunately come with a slash of .246/.330/.293, so Nuñez is very much a one-category player. That one category does keep him on the radar, at least.

Nuñez hit a fourth-inning Payton Tolle offering over the Green Monster to give Washington a 3-0 lead they would continue to build on. He’s been serving as the team’s primary second baseman all season long and leads MLB with 32 thefts.

Nuñez is up to 31 steals and 26 RBI after tonight. He hasn’t truly improved enough with the bat to project him as a long-term regular, and the Nationals might want to give one of their infield prospect a look over him in the second half, but a nifty career as a part-timer seems likely.