Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, and an RBI in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. The Maryland native singled off Braves pitcher Bryce Elder in the top of the first, but was kept off base until late in the game when he came up clutch with a go-ahead RBI. He stepped to the plate to square off against Braves' reliever Enyel De Los Santos in the top of the eighth and laced a double into the right-field corner that scored teammate Nasim Nunez and would prove to be the winning run. Wood obliterated that pitch, but it wasn't even his hardest-hit ball of the outing. That was his single, which registered at 113.5 MPH and would qualify for the hardest-hit ball of the contest. The 22-year-old is still striking out at an elevated clip (25.8%), but fantasy managers likely don't mind considering he's otherwise been a strong five-category producer. He's up to an excellent .274/.371/.536 triple slash with 11 homers, 11 doubles, 24 runs scored, 25 RBI, and five steals.

The Washington Nationals sent first baseman/designated hitter Andres Chaparro (oblique) on a minor-league rehab assignment to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Wednesday. Chaparro suffered a strained left oblique all the way back in the middle of March during spring training and is just now ready to resume playing in actual games, which means that his return probably isn't imminent. The 26-year-old could have an opportunity to see some playing time as Washington's DH against left-handed pitchers when he returns to the big leagues, potentially in late May or early June. The Venezuelan first baseman made his major-league debut in 2024 and went 26-for-121 (.215) with four home runs, 12 doubles, 15 RBI, one steal and 12 runs scored in 33 games. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can continue ignoring him for now.

Washington Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker (leg) took a 107.2 mph comebacker off his left leg during his outing on Wednesday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves off the bat of third baseman Austin Riley. Manager Dave Martinez pulled Parker with two outs and runners on second and third in the fifth inning. Parker was charged with four earned runs on four hits while walking two and striking out six in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision in the team's eventual 5-4 victory. The 25-year-old will surely undergo X-rays to see if he has any fractures or breaks in his leg, so fantasy managers will want to check back later on Wednesday or early on Thursday for an update on his condition. At the very least, Parker's next start is in jeopardy. He's now allowed at least four earned runs in each of his last four outings for the Nats.

The Washington Nationals placed second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. on the paternity list on Tuesday and recalled infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move, according to The Washington Post's Andrew Golden. Garcia is welcoming a new addition into his family this week and is expected to miss the entire series against the division-rival Atlanta Braves before rejoining the club on Friday before their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. After a breakout in 2024, the 24-year-old has mostly disappointed in his first 38 games in 2025, going 30-for-133 (.226) with three home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI, six steals and 18 runs scored as the Nats' primary second baseman. While he's out for a few games, expect Washington to use veteran Amed Rosario as the fill-in at the keystone. Rosario makes plenty of contact and is hitting .282 (20-for-71), but he doesn't offer much else in fantasy.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore had mixed results in Sunday's start against the St. Louis Cardinals, tossing 6 innings of four-run ball and taking the loss in a 6-1 defeat. Gore was looking decent before the seventh, but ran into some trouble that made his line look a little worse. He ended his outing with five hits and three walks allowed and struck out seven. The strikeout artist is now 2-4 with a 3.59 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts in 52 IP. After a brilliant start to his season, the 26-year-old has been more human lately and has shown some flaws that we've seen from him in years past, namely his lack of control and inability to limit home runs. Gore still has a ton of talent and will likely go on a nice run again later in the year, but don't expect him to be an ace. He should certainly still be started in all fantasy formats most weeks, though. His next matchup will likely come in Baltimore against the Orioles next Friday.