Keibert Ruiz's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics. Ruiz is set to miss his third game in a row due to an illness. The good news is that this shouldn't be something that lands Ruiz on the injured list. In the meantime, Riley Adams will cover behind the plate and bat seventh versus right-hander Paul Blackburn on Friday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming choice than Adams for Friday's slate.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and first baseman/designated hitter Joey Meneses are not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants. It's the second straight day that Ruiz has been on the bench, and the Nats also called up catcher Drew Millas, so don't be surprised if an injury pops up for the 25-year-old. Millas is behind the dish and batting eighth, while Jesse Winker is serving as the DH and batting third and Joey Gallo is at first base and hitting cleanup against Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks. In addition to a potential injury bothering Ruiz, he's gone just 6-for-31 (.194) in the early going with a homer and three RBI. Meneses is also off to a slow start, going 8-for-42 (.190) with no homers and 13 strikeouts in his first 11 games in 2024.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz will get the day off on Thursday as the team takes on the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. With Ruiz on the bench, Riley Adams is getting the start behind the dish to catch right-hander Josiah Gray while batting fifth against Pirates left-hander Martin Perez. Adams has just one career at-bat against Perez and does not have a hit. Ruiz has gotten off to a nice start for the Nationals in 2024 through five games played, going 6-for-20 (.300) with a home run, three RBI and a run scored in 21 plate appearances. Fantasy managers playing in DFS contests looking for a cheap catching option could do worse than Adams in the five-hole against a very hittable pitcher in Perez.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz had a solid day at the plate as part of his team's 9-3 Grapefruit League win over the Miami Marlins. He scored a run in the fourth inning before collecting an RBI double and scoring again in the fifth. The 25-year-old backstop is now 4-for-13 (.308) on the spring, although Wednesday's double is his lone extra-base knock across 15 trips to the plate. Ruiz hit .260 with a healthy 18 home runs and 67 RBI across 136 games with the Nats in 2023 but his overall production was hurt due to a subpar 5.5% BB%, even if accompanied by an elite 10.3% K%. ATC is projecting 15 long balls for Ruiz in his age-25 season, although he will need to earn more free passes to help fantasy managers in OPS leagues.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (illness) and catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) were both scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to illnesses. Senzel has been sick now for a few days, and Ruiz may have caught the same bug. Both players should be able to return to the lineup in a few days at spring training and will be fine for Opening Day in late March. Senzel, a former first-rounder, flamed out in Cincinnati, mostly due to injuries. The 28-year-old is expected to try and stick as Washington's primary third baseman in 2024, and his power/speed combination makes him worth a bench spot in deep-mixed leagues if he wins the job. Ruiz, 25, has gone 1-for-4 in his two Grapefruit League games so far. He's not an elite fantasy catcher, but he has a strong floor due to his status as the Nats' starting catcher.