Abrams (hip) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday.
Abrams is eligible for activation from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but the Nationals want him to play at least one rehab game first. Barring any setbacks, Abrams should rejoin the Nats' active roster later this week. He's been out since mid-April with a right hip flexor strain.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Runs on field Tuesday
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Abrams (hip) did some running on the field Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams has also hit in the batting cage and is "definitely making good progress," per Nationals manager Dave Martinez. There is optimism Abrams will be ready for activation when first eligible April 22, but he'll first need to show he can make lateral movements at shortstop without discomfort in his right hip.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Placed on 10-day IL
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The Nationals placed Abrams on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a right hip flexor strain.
Abrams missed two games earlier in the week due to a right hip issue, and he aggravated the injury while stealing second base against the Marlins on Friday. He was evaluated by Nationals' medical staff Saturday, and it was determined that the severity of the injury warranted his placement on the injured list, though manager Davey Martinez appeared optimistic that Abrams won't need more than the minimum stint on the IL, per Bobby Blanco of MASN Sports. In Abrams' absence, the Nationals could turn to Paul DeJong to slide over from third base to shortstop, which would give Jose Tena and Amed Rosario more opportunities to get some starts at the hot corner. Nasim Nunez was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move, and he could see some reps in the infield due to Abrams' absence.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Tallies another long ball in loss
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Abrams went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Dodgers.
Abrams drove a high fastball by Landon Knack into right field and out of the yard to put the Nationals on the board in the first inning. The speedy shortstop has gone deep in four of his last seven outings, during which he's batting .296 with two doubles, six RBI, six runs scored and two stolen bases over 27 at-bats.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Checking back into lineup
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Abrams (thigh) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
Abrams was held out of the lineup for the past two games while dealing with right thigh tightness, but the Nationals never expressed much concern that the issue would force the young shortstop to the injured list. He'll be back at his familiar spot atop the lineup and in the infield for the series finale, while Paul DeJong shifts back over to third base after making the last two starts at shortstop.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Remains out Tuesday
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Abrams (thigh) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Dodgers.
Abrams' right thigh tightened up on him during Sunday's contest against the Diamondbacks and he has now missed two straight starts. The 24-year-old is considered day-to-day. Paul DeJong will cover shortstop again Tuesday, and Amed Rosario will play third base.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Day-to-day with thigh tightness
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Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that Abrams is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Dodgers due to right thigh tightness, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Abrams' thigh tightened up on him during the final play of Sunday's win over the Diamondbacks. Martinez said that he's not concerned the injury could linger, but the team felt it was best to give Abrams at least one day of rest. Paul DeJong will slide over to start at shortstop in Monday's series opener, while Jose Tena will get the nod at third base.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Heating up in April
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Abrams went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-4 loss to Arizona.
Abrams got the Nationals on the board with a solo shot in the first inning off Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. After going just 2-for-13 in three outings to open the campaign, Abrams is 7-for-16 with three long balls, two doubles, four RBI and one stolen base over his past four contests.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Smacks solo homer Wednesday
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Abrams went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Toronto.
Abrams got the Nationals on the board in the sixth inning, when he took Brendon Little deep for a 386-foot solo homer to right field. Abrams had a productive series in Toronto despite Washington being swept, with the 24-year-old shortstop going 5-for-12 with two doubles, three runs, two home runs and three RBI. The Nationals have an off day Thursday before starting a three-game home series against the Diamondbacks on Friday.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Tallies three hits Tuesday
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Abrams went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, a run and a stolen base in Tuesday's loss to the Blue Jays.
Abrams doubled his early-season hit total and swiped his second bag of the year. He now has three extra-base hits in his last two games and bumped his batting average up to .286 after Tuesday's strong performance.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Back in action Thursday
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Abrams (quadricep) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
As expected, Abrams has been cleared to return to action following his precautionary removal from Wednesday's game against the Astros when he experienced cramping in both of his quads after legging out a triple. He enters Thursday's contest having hit .300 with one home run and three RBI over 30 at-bats in the Grapefruit League.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Focusing on swing decisions
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Abrams' slow start to spring training isn't a concern yet for the Nationals, Bobby Blanco of MASN Sports reports.
The shortstop's issues on and off the field late last season, which prompted a demotion to Triple-A Rochester, have put a spotlight on his performance early in camp. So far Abrams has struggled, going 3-for-19 (.158) through six Grapefruit League appearances with zero strikeouts or walks, but it's the latter the team wants him to focus on. "We know he's got some power. We want to make sure that it doesn't transpire into just him trying to hit home runs all the time," manager Dave Martinez said this week. "We need him to get on base for us. If he's going to lead off, he's got to be able to get on base, accept his walks. Right now, he's really trying to work on staying on the ball and work on his timing a little bit. But he's been really good." Abrams was slashing .283/.344/.513 at the end of June last year prior to his second-half struggles, and the Nats still believe he can provide that level of production on a consistent basis.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Will bat leadoff
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Abrams will be moved back into the leadoff spot this season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "CJ's going to lead off," manager Dave Martinez said. "The [Nos.] 3-4-5 will be kind of different a little bit. The [No.] 2 might be different at times. But we do know CJ's going to lead off for us."
Abrams was moved out of the leadoff spot late in the season last year in favor of prospect Dylan Crews when Crews was promoted, but the team will reverse that decision this year. Abrams struggled so much in the second half (.203/.260/.326 with an 11th percentile chase rate) that his ability to remain in that capacity as a leadoff hitter is in question.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Returns to lineup
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Abrams (shoulder) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff Tuesday against the Mets.
Left-shoulder soreness has prevented Abrams from playing in each of Washington's last four games, but he seems to finally be feeling better entering Tuesday's contest. The 23-year-old has been in a bit of a slump at the plate recently, slashing just .176/.194/.382 with two home runs and three RBI since the start of September.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Available off bench Monday
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Abrams (shoulder) is available off the bench for Monday's game against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams is missing a fourth straight start due to left shoulder discomfort, but it sounds like his return to the lineup could happen any day now. Nasim Nunez is picking up another start at shortstop in Monday's series opener.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Remains on bench Monday
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Abrams (shoulder) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
He'll miss out on a fourth consecutive start while he continues to contend with a sore left shoulder. Nasim Nunez will once again fill in at shortstop in place of Abrams, who is considered day-to-day and may be available off the bench Monday.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Reaches 20-20 mark
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Abrams went 2-for-4 with a home run and an additional run in Wednesday's 5-1 victory versus Atlanta.
Abrams crushed a 420-foot homer to center field in the fourth inning for his 20th homer of the campaign. It's the first time he's reached that mark in his career -- the shortstop fell just short with 18 long balls last year. Abrams also has 28 steals this season, making him one of 10 big leaguers to reach 20-20 so far.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Swats 19th homer
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Abrams went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Pirates.
The shortstop led off the game by taking Jared Jones deep, but it was the last lead the Nationals would hold on the afternoon in a 7-3 loss. The homer was the 19th of the year for Abrams, a new career high, and he's tied the career-high 64 RBI he collected last year. The 23-year-old's overall offensive profile hasn't taken the step forward expected of him in 2024, however -- his .238/.307/.422 slash line is nearly identical to his .245/.300/.412 performance from 2023, and Abrams has fallen from 47 steals in 51 attempts to 28 in 40.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Day off Wednesday
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Abrams is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Abrams went 0-for-8 with a couple strikeouts in the first two games of the series and will be given a day off in the finale. Nasim Nunez is getting a rare start at shortstop in Abrams' place, and rookie Dylan Crews will move up into the leadoff spot.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Two hits, stolen base in loss
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Abrams went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Saturday's loss to Atlanta.
Abrams singled to lead off the third before swiping his 26th bag of the season and his sixth in the month of August. The shortstop added another leadoff single in the fifth but was again left stranded as Washington's offense failed to get much going in the contest. It marked Abrams' second multi-hit effort in his last five starts, though he's still batting just .197 on the month with three homers, eight RBI and eight runs scored.
