The Washington Nationals are optioning shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues on Saturday, according to sources. Abrams had a breakout first half and was named to the National League All-Star squad, but he has struggled in the second half. Since the All-Star break, the former first-rounder has hit just .203 (38-for-187) with five home runs, eight RBI, 17 RBI, 10 walks, 48 strikeouts and 16 stolen bases in 49 games played to drop his season line to .246/.314/.433. The 23-year-old has still produced his first 20-20 season in his second full season in D.C. with 20 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 138 games after hitting 18 dingers and stealing a career-high 47 bags in 2023. It's an odd move, to say the least, especially with the minor-league seasons concluding on Sunday. Abrams did have four hits on Thursday and has hit .271 (13-for-48) with two homers, three doubles, three RBI and four steals in September.

Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer is not in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's contest at Great American Ball Park against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. With Steer taking the day off, the left-handed-hitting Will Benson will get the start in left field for the Reds and will bat ninth against Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones. Steer has really struggled in the month of September, batting .191 (12-for-63) with a homer, four doubles, two triples and 14 strikeouts in 18 games, so the Reds have elected to give him a day to clear his head. The 26-year-old right-handed slugger has hit just .230 (127-for-552) in 152 games this year, but he has recorded a 20-20 campaign for the first time in his career in just his third season with the Reds after falling five steals short in 2023. Benson has never faced Jones in his career and is a low-upside DFS sleeper who is hitting .189 (63-for-333) on the year.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) received a facet shot for his lingering back issue on Thursday and showed signs of progressing on Friday. A facet shot is an injection of a mixture of anesthetic and steroids into the facet joints of the spine to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. "It was always trending in the right direction but it didn't feel like I could get back sooner rather than later. And with the injection, they said there was a possibility that that could happen," Lindor said. He played catch, ran and took batting practice on Friday and said he was "feeling good." However, Lindor couldn't put a percentage of improvement on the results yet, and it remains to be seen if he'll play this weekend against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Lindor missed his fifth straight game and continues to be replaced by infield prospect Luisangel Acuna, who has looked good since his call-up from the minors.

Miami Marlins middle infielder Xavier Edwards and outfielder Kyle Stowers are out of the starting lineup on Saturday at LoanDepot Park against the division-rival Atlanta Braves with a left-hander on the mound. Javier Sanoja is starting at shortstop and is batting sixth, while Derek Hill will make the start in left field and bat cleanup for the Fish versus Braves left-hander Max Fried. Edwards will retreat to the bench after starting each of the team's last seven games. The 25-year-od switch-hitter has been one of the bright spots in Miami in 2024, hitting .318/.385/.386 with a .771 OPS and 30 stolen bases in just 233 at-bats. Stowers, on the other hand, has really struggled since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Orioles, as he's hit .203/.269/.322 with a .591 OPS, two homers, 15 RBI and 54 strikeouts in his 45 games in Miami.

The Baltimore Orioles will option rookie infielder Coby Mayo to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday, according to a source, which likely means that veteran infielder Ramon Urias (ankle) is coming off the 10-day injured list. Jordan Westburg (hand), who is recovering from a fractured hand, is likely not far behind Urias. With both Urias and Westburg out of late, the O's had been using a combination of Mayo and Emmanuel Rivera at the hot corner. Mayo, the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, went 3-for-24 with 12 strikeouts in 10 games since being brought up from Norfolk at the beginning of September. The 22-year-old still has a bright future in the big leagues, but he clearly isn't ready for big-league pitching and could use some more seasoning on the farm. Expect the O's to use a combination of Urias and Westburg at third the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.