Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said on Monday that left-hander MacKenzie Gore (ankle) is dealing with a sore ankle, but he's feeling a lot better. Gore slipped on a wet mound during his outing on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury and should be able to make his next scheduled start this Sunday versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The 26-year-old southpaw and former third overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2017 picked up a no-decision on Sunday against the Reds by allowing one earned run on four hits while walking four and striking out nine in five innings of work. Gore has looked good in his third year with the Nats and has posted a career-best 3.33 ERA (2.72 FIP) and 1.15 WHIP with a league-high 68 K's and 13 walks in eight starts over 46 innings. Start Gore on Sunday if he's cleared.

WashingtonNationals closer Kyle Finnegan sat down the Reds in order during the ninth inning of Sunday's 4-1 victory, striking out two on the way to earning his 11th save of the season. After racking up 38 saves lastseason for the Nats, the righty is well on his way to that number again thisyear, while also helping fantasy managers' ratios with a 2.63 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 13 2/3 IP. If he can clean up the walks, the 33-year-old could also have a solid WHIP, but for now it stands at 1.39. On a team with the second-highest bullpen ERA, Finnegan has been a bright spot and has no competition for saves at the moment, so fantasy managers are getting a great return on investment from the 6-foot-2 hurler.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. hit a two-run home run in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Reds, his third of the season. The 24-year-old got off to a slow start to the season but has started to turn things around recently, collecting two home runs and three multi-hit games in his last nine games played. His slash line still looks disappointing at .234/.282/.360, but he has delivered a useful power and speed combination with three home runs and six stolen bases.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs, and a stolen base during their victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Wood would hit his double in the third inning off Cincinnati southpaw Nick Lodolo. This was Wood's second-straight game stealing at least one base. Over his last 12 games, the sophomore outfielder has posted an impressive .348/.464/.587 slash line with five doubles, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 15:10 K:BB. Prior to this recent surge at the plate, the 22-year-old held a .232/.337/.524 line across his first 22 games of the season. Under the hood, Wood has generated a .392 xwOBA with a 52.3 percent hard-hit rate, which suggests he should continue to enjoy a breakout campaign. He remains a must-start option in all formats on Sunday when he faces Cincinnati right-hander Nick Martinez.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double, a run, an RBI, and two stolen bases in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Garcia gave the Nationals a 3-1 lead with his RBI single in the sixth inning. The veteran infielder is now hitting .253 with five doubles, two homers, 15 runs, nine RBI, and six steals across 99 at-bats in 2025. Garcia stole 22 bases last season and is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues for managers who need stolen bases.