Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) is out of the starting lineup again on Thursday at Wrigley Field for the contest against the hosting Chicago Cubs. Darren Baker is manning second base for the Nats and will hit eighth against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. This will be Garcia's second straight game on the bench due to wrist discomfort, although it's not considered a very serious injury. Fantasy managers should consider the 24-year-old to be day-to-day. Garcia is in the midst of a career season, as he enters Thursday's action slashing .280/.319/.440 with a .759 OPS, 16 home runs, 25 RBI and 21 stolen bases in his 132 games played. He would surely like to return soon to finish off his strong 2024 season the right way. Baker, 25, will be playing in just his sixth major-league game on Thursday. He's gone 2-for-5 so far with a double and two strikeouts for the Nats.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) said his right wrist was bothering him after his last swing in Tuesday's contest at Citi Field against the division-rival New York Mets, and manager Dave Martinez removed him as a precaution. Before he was pulled, Garcia went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before eventually being replaced at the keystone by Jose Tena. The 24-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be too serious, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the Nationals give Garcia a day to rest on Wednesday. It's been a breakout season in 2024 for Garcia in his fifth year in the big leagues for Washington, as he entered Tuesday's action slashing .281/.320/.442 with career-highs in OPS (.762), home runs (16), RBI (65) and stolen bases (21) in 131 games played. If Garcia misses additional time, either Tena or Ildemaro Vargas will pick up playing time at second base.

The plan is for Washington Nationals outfielder Alex Call (foot) to go on a quick minor-league rehab assignment soon so that he can play in the majors before the end of the regular season at the end of the month. The Nationals put Call on the 10-day injured list at the end of August with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. The fact that the 29-year-old even has a chance to return before the end of the 2024 season is a bit of a surprise. Call hit .200 (75-for-375) with eight home runs in his first full big-league season in 2023 in D.C. In only 30 games this year, he's been much better with a .343/.425/.525 slash line, a career-best .950 OPS, three homers, 14 RBI and five steals. Even before outfield prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews reached the big leagues, Call was mainly considered a fourth-outfielder type with a better glove than bat.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) will finish his throwing program, but he's not going to pitch in a game before the end of the regular season. After missing all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery, Cavalli opened this year on the injured list and then suffered a setback with his arm in the minors while rehabbing. The 26-year-old ended up only making three starts in the Florida Complex League and at High-A Wilmington. The team's No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has lost some prospect steam after back-to-back lost seasons due to injury. Cavalli will spend the offseason trying to get his right arm healthy, and if he can stay healthy in 2025, he could end up being a post-hype sleeper prospect to keep an eye on. He made his big-league debut late in 2022 and allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his only start before getting hurt.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the New York Mets. The left-handed slugger returns to the lineup after missing each of the last four games due to left shoulder soreness. Luckily, it was only a minor issue and Abrams should be fully ready to go on Tuesday. He'll serve as the leadoff hitter and cover shortstop against right-hander Tylor Megill. The 23-year-old is slumping in September but is hitting .239 with 20 home runs and 65 RBI in 2024. Fantasy managers who have Abrams rostered can get him back in their lineups on Tuesday.