Keibert Ruiz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is getting a breather on Tuesday versus the Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park. Riley Adams will do the catching for rookie left-hander DJ Herz and will bat seventh for the Nats against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber. The switch-hitting Ruiz has fared better from the left side of the plate against right-handers in 2024, as he's hit just .224 (19-for-85) with two of his 12 home runs on the season from the right side against lefties. He'll take a seat on Tuesday in the midst of a modest five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 6-for-22 (.273) with three home runs, five RBI and three runs scored. Adams will be cheap in DFS lineups, but he won't bring fantasy managers much upside at all. The 28-year-old backstop is batting .230 (26-for-113) on the year with only two homers and eight RBI.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz went 2-for-4 with two home runs on Thursday evening. Ruiz hit his first long ball in the fifth inning and then did so again in the seventh frame. The switch-hitting catcher extended his current hitting streak to three games and boasts a strong .295/.340/.545 line through August. The 26-year-old has struggled in the batter's box for most of the season but his recent surge could suggest he might be turning the corner. However, he still has been a viable asset in points leagues with his excellent 10.3% K rate. Ruiz remains a solid option as a second catcher in deeper formats and should continue to see the majority of starting opportunities in D.C.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (groin) left Wednesday's game early after being hit by a bounced ball in the groin. Riley Adams eventually replaced Ruiz later in the game. Andrew Golden of the Washington Post reported that Nationals skipper Dave Martinez is concerned about the severity of the injury. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Nationals lineup prior to Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The switch-hitting catcher has struggled in the batter's box this season with a .216/.248/.334 line but has held a stellar 11.2% K rate. Adams would get a majority of the starts behind the dish if Ruiz were to be sidelined for an extended period, but he should be faded in all DFS competitions this weekend as he currently sits with a modest .233 AVG.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz homered and drove in three runs in Saturday's 14-3 rout of the Cardinals. It was his eighth home run of the season but his only hit of the game, going 1-for-6 at the plate, while the RBIs pushed his season total to 33. For a contact-hitter like Ruiz, it's perplexing to see him batting just .217 on the season, however, he's been better in July, hitting .261 with four of his eight home runs coming this month. The backstop's 87.8% contact rate, low 11.3% strikeout rate, and xBA of .268 could mean things should keep trending up for the switch-hitter.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz will take the day off on Sunday versus the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Riley Adams will do the catching instead for rookie left-hander DJ Herz while batting eighth against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson. Ruiz will take a seat after getting hits in four of his nine at-bats with a home run, a double, four RBI, and two runs scored in the first two games of the series against the Cardinals. He's now gone 8-for-22 (.364) with a homer, double, five RBI and three runs scored in five games so far in the month of July, and fantasy managers are hoping that Ruiz can finally start to heat up this year. The 25-year-old Venezuelan backstop hasn't done much for fantasy managers in 2024, slashing .218/.257/.319 with five home runs, 25 RBI and 21 runs scored in 229 at-bats to this point in the season.