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.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz hit a home run and had three RBI on Saturday afternoon in a 14-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. He had not homered since June 9th. Ruiz is off to a good start in July, hitting .364 with a home run, five RBI, and three runs scored. On the season, the veteran is hitting .218 with five home runs, 25 RBI, a stolen base, and 21 runs scored. Look for Ruiz to continue to play five games per week and handle the bulk of the catching duties for the Nationals the rest of the season.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is taking the day off during Wednesday's matinee contest for the series finale against the visiting Minnesota Twins. With Ruiz on the bench, Riley Adams will do the catching for right-hander Jake Irvin and bat eighth against Twins rookie right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Ruiz dealt with a pretty serious illness early this year that caused him to lose over 10 pounds, so perhaps that's why he's been such a disappointment so far in 2024. The 25-year-old switch-hitting Venezuelan backstop is slashing .160/.198/.236 with only two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored in 106 at-bats. Adams has been slightly better, going 16-for-69 (.232) with two home runs and six RBI. The 27-year-old will be a low-upside sleeper in DFS at catcher.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz isn't in the starting lineup on Tuesday for the first game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. Washington will be starting Riley Adams at catcher who will be batting seventh in replace of Ruiz. This season, Ruiz is slashing .145/.193/.410 with two home runs and four RBIs. In his last 15 games, Ruiz is slashing .102/.159/.153 with one run and one RBI as he has struggled to produce much offense this season. The 25-year-old is 28% owned in Yahoo fantasy leagues while is owned in 46% of ESPN's fantasy leagues. However, due to the lack of offense, Ruiz is producing right now, he isn't worth a fantasy look, especially with Adams stealing some starts from him.

The Washington Nationals reinstated catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned catcher Drew Millas to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move, according to president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo. The 25-year-old Ruiz will return to the Nats after missing 11 games with influenza and he'll be back behind the dish while hitting fifth against Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ruiz appeared in two minor-league rehab games with Double-A Harrisburg this week. Before going on the injured list, he was hitting just .194 with a home run and three RBI in eight games. Ruiz will return as Washington's primary catcher, but fantasy managers may want to keep him benched until he can get going.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday. Ruiz landed on the injured list last week with influenza. Barring any setbacks, Ruiz should be ready to return to the Nats lineup at some point later this week. Until then, Riley Adams and Drew Millas figure to split up the playing time behind the plate.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) has finally moved past the worst of his case of influenza, which first began afflicting him 13 days ago and eventually forced him to the 10-day injured list. He described himself as "90 percent" better now and has been able to start some baseball activities -- hitting off a pitching machine, participating in some defensive drills and doing some light weight lifting. He was set to begin running before Sunday's game against the Houston Astros. The 25-year-old lost 18-20 pounds. Ruiz could be activated before Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the team seems inclined to have him go on a short minor-league rehab assignment first, likely with Double-A Harrisburg. Ruiz was hitting just .194 (6-for-31) with a homer and three RBI before getting sick.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Friday's game versus the Houston Astros that catcher Keibert Ruiz (influenza) is feeling a lot better after he recently played catch and took batting practice. Martinez said the backstop lost 20 pounds while battling the flu, so Ruiz still needs to build his strength back up. With that said, he's eligible to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list as early as Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers and seems unlikely to need a minor-league rehab assignment before getting back behind the dish for the Nats. The 26-year-old former top prospect was off to a sluggish start, however, batting .194 (6-for-31) with one home run and three RBI over eight games. Riley Adams will get the bulk of the catching work in DC in the interim and is worth a look for fantasy managers in deep two-catcher leagues, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and five RBI in 10 outings this year.

The Washington Nationals placed catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 12) with the flu on Monday and recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. The team also recalled left-hander Mitchell Parker from Rochester. Ruiz has been under the weather of late and hasn't appeared in a game since April 8. It's tough for a player to go on the IL due to an illness, but the 25-year-old backstop should be able to return when he's eligible. In addition to his illness, Ruiz has been cold at the plate in the early going, picking up six hits in his first 31 at-bats, including a homer, three RBI and five strikeouts. For as long as Ruiz is on the shelf, Riley Adams will operate as Washington's primary catcher, with Millas backing him up.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) is unlikely to play during Monday's game, according to manager Dave Martinez. Ruiz has missed each of the last five games due to an illness. The organization has not placed Ruiz on the injured list and still considers the catcher as day-to-day. Drew Millas has been recalled from Triple-A to provide some catching depth in the absence of Ruiz.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) remains out of the Nationals lineup for the fourth straight day as he continues to battle an illness. The 25-year-old should not see a stint on the IL and remains day-to-day. Riley Adams will serve as the catcher and make his sixth start of the season. He will be batting in the eight-hole and will face Athletics pitcher Joe Boyle. Adams enters Saturday's game with a .278 AVG, one long ball, and four RBI, making him a sneaky play in the DFS as Joey Boyle is riding an 8.22 ERA and 2.22 WHIP.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics. Ruiz is set to miss his third game in a row due to an illness. The good news is that this shouldn't be something that lands Ruiz on the injured list. In the meantime, Riley Adams will cover behind the plate and bat seventh versus right-hander Paul Blackburn on Friday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming choice than Adams for Friday's slate.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and first baseman/designated hitter Joey Meneses are not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants. It's the second straight day that Ruiz has been on the bench, and the Nats also called up catcher Drew Millas, so don't be surprised if an injury pops up for the 25-year-old. Millas is behind the dish and batting eighth, while Jesse Winker is serving as the DH and batting third and Joey Gallo is at first base and hitting cleanup against Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks. In addition to a potential injury bothering Ruiz, he's gone just 6-for-31 (.194) in the early going with a homer and three RBI. Meneses is also off to a slow start, going 8-for-42 (.190) with no homers and 13 strikeouts in his first 11 games in 2024.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz will get the day off on Thursday as the team takes on the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. With Ruiz on the bench, Riley Adams is getting the start behind the dish to catch right-hander Josiah Gray while batting fifth against Pirates left-hander Martin Perez. Adams has just one career at-bat against Perez and does not have a hit. Ruiz has gotten off to a nice start for the Nationals in 2024 through five games played, going 6-for-20 (.300) with a home run, three RBI and a run scored in 21 plate appearances. Fantasy managers playing in DFS contests looking for a cheap catching option could do worse than Adams in the five-hole against a very hittable pitcher in Perez.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz had a solid day at the plate as part of his team's 9-3 Grapefruit League win over the Miami Marlins. He scored a run in the fourth inning before collecting an RBI double and scoring again in the fifth. The 25-year-old backstop is now 4-for-13 (.308) on the spring, although Wednesday's double is his lone extra-base knock across 15 trips to the plate. Ruiz hit .260 with a healthy 18 home runs and 67 RBI across 136 games with the Nats in 2023 but his overall production was hurt due to a subpar 5.5% BB%, even if accompanied by an elite 10.3% K%. ATC is projecting 15 long balls for Ruiz in his age-25 season, although he will need to earn more free passes to help fantasy managers in OPS leagues.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (illness) and catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) were both scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to illnesses. Senzel has been sick now for a few days, and Ruiz may have caught the same bug. Both players should be able to return to the lineup in a few days at spring training and will be fine for Opening Day in late March. Senzel, a former first-rounder, flamed out in Cincinnati, mostly due to injuries. The 28-year-old is expected to try and stick as Washington's primary third baseman in 2024, and his power/speed combination makes him worth a bench spot in deep-mixed leagues if he wins the job. Ruiz, 25, has gone 1-for-4 in his two Grapefruit League games so far. He's not an elite fantasy catcher, but he has a strong floor due to his status as the Nats' starting catcher.