Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (quad) is returning to left field on Wednesday afternoon. Wood has only been able to serve as a designated hitter during the early part of spring training due to tendinitis in his quad. However, seeing him cleared to return to the defensive side of the game suggests he should be a full-go by Opening Day. During his first two games of spring training, Wood has held a .33/.429/.333 line with a 1:1 BB:K ratio. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut and held a .264/.354/.427 slash line with nine home runs and 14 stolen bases. He drew walks at a strong 11.6 percent rate with a stellar 52.0 percent hard-hit rate. Earlier in the season at Triple-A, Wood held a .353/.463/.595 line with 16 doubles and 10 home runs. Fantasy managers should expect Wood to have an everyday role in left field and bat near the top of the Washington lineup.

Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett cleared waivers on Tuesday and has been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester after he was designated for assignment last week. Garrett fractured his ankle in August of 2023 and was still recovering from the injury early in 2024. The 29-year-old former eighth-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 ended up playing in just two games for the Nats last year after hitting .269/.343/.457 with an .801 OPS, nine home runs, 40 RBI, three stolen bases and 40 runs scored in 89 games in 2023. Garrett's .674 OPS in 71 games for Rochester wasn't impressive at all, but he showed in 2023 that he could at least be an option in a short-side platoon role against left-handed pitchers. Unfortunately, Garrett will start at Rochester again this year and will face an uphill battle to carve out a substantial role at the big-league level once again in 2025.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (undisclosed) was scratched from Saturday's lineup. As a result, Darren Baker got the starting nod at the keystone. Fantasy managers should monitor his status as the team did not provide much context about his injury. Last season, Garcia logged a career-high 140 games in his fifth-MLB campaign. Across this stint, Garcia posted a career-best .282/.318/.444 slash line with 25 doubles and 18 home runs. He swiped 22 bags and added 58 runs and 70 RBI. He showed a strong eye at the plate as he only struck out at a 16.3 percent rate. He also generated a .278 xBA. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Garcia to operate as the team's primary second baseman. However, last season, he did sit occasionally against southpaws, which slightly hinders his fantasy value.

Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia (forearm) is expected to make his Cactus League debut on Monday. The 28-year-old has battled irritation in his left forearm during the start of camp but has progressed enough to see his first game action. Fantasy managers should monitor his status in case he faces a setback during his debut. Earlier in the offseason, the Rangers acquired Garcia from the Washington Nationals in exchange for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Last season, the 28-year-old logged a career-high 59 2/3 innings with the Nationals. He held a 4.22 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP. However, he generated a strong 2.53 xERA with a .207 xBA, which suggests that he should see significant positive regression when he returns to the bump. If he performs well in camp, he could contend for save opportunities.

The Washington Nationals designated outfielder Stone Garrett for assignment on Thursday to make room for right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan on the 40-man roster. Garrett will now be subjected to waivers, but if he goes unclaimed, he could return to the Nationals organization and be assigned to Triple-A Rochester to start the year. The 29-year-old former eighth-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 only appeared in two games in the big leagues in 2024 after having left-ankle surgery. However, in 118 career games since debuting with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022, Garrett has hit .276/.341/.492 with an .833 OPS, 14 home runs, 53 RBI and six stolen bases in 361 plate appearances, so he could attract interest from around the league as outfield depth with some pop. He could find work in a short-side platoon elsewhere.