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.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) is out of the starting lineup on Monday for the fourth straight contest against the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field. With Abrams out again, rookie Nasim Nunez is making another start at the 6 and is batting in the nine-hole against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea. Abrams remains day-to-day to begin the week due to left-shoulder soreness. Fantasy managers obviously need to keep the 23-year-old benched and check back to see if he's available to play on Tuesday for the second game of the series. In his first 40 major-league games this year, Nunez is slashing .270/.386/.297 with a .684 OPS, no home runs, one double, an RBI, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 48 trips to the plate. Nunez has been able to make plenty of contact but carries very little fantasy upside, especially at the bottom of the batting order.UPDATE: Abrams is close to returning and was available off the bench on Monday.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) is being kept out of the starting nine again on Sunday afternoon as the Nationals look to clinch a series victory over the Miami Marlins. The star infielder has been sidelined since Friday due to shoulder soreness and will need at least another day to rest. As a result, Nasim Nunez will cover shortstop again and bat in the nine-hole. Abrams has emerged as a legit power and speed threat this season, hitting 20 home runs and swiping 29 bags. Nunez has tallied just four hits across his past nine starts and should be left out of your DFS lineup this afternoon as he will face Miami right-hander Adam Oller.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) remained out of the lineup on Saturday due to a shoulder injury. The 23-year-old was kept sidelined on Friday as well. Fantasy managers should consider Abrams day-to-day for the time being as he could be cleared to return for the series finale against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. As a result, Nasim Nunez will cover shortstop Saturday afternoon and bat in the nine-hole. Abrams has enjoyed another excellent season this summer, launching 20 home runs and swiping 29 bags while holding a .239 AVG. Nunez has tallied four hits in his past five starts and could be a sneaky play in DFS as he will face Miami right-hander Valente Bellozo.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) has been scratched from the lineup on Friday against the division-rival Miami Marlins at Nationals Park due to a sore left shoulder after a diving play on Thursday night. With Abrams out, everyone in the batting order moves up a slot, with rookie outfielder Dylan Crews starting in right field and batting leadoff against Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera. Nasim Nunez slots in at the 6 in D.C. and will hit in the nine-hole. Fantasy managers should consider Abrams to be day-to-day for now and check back on Saturday to see if he is available to play against the Fish. The rookie Nunez has handled himself well in his first 37 big-league games in 2024 by hitting .345 (10-for-29), but he has yet to clear the fences and will have limited DFS appeal at the bottom of Washington's batting order.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams will return to the leadoff spot for the team in Game 1 of their doubleheader on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Luis L. Ortiz at PNC Park. Abrams got the day off in the series opener at PNC Park on Thursday before Friday's contest was postponed due to inclement weather. Fantasy managers in all formats may want to keep the 23-year-old on the bench on Saturday given the way he's struggled lately. Abrams has one hit in 10 at-bats in three games to begin the month and has gone 2-for-26 (.077) with a walk and six strikeouts in his last seven games since Aug. 26. He's still had a dynamic year in 2024 with 18 home runs, 62 RBI and 28 stolen bases, but there's no secret Abrams is scuffling right now. He has never faced Ortiz in his career as he looks to get out of his funk during a doubleheader on Saturday.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams will get the day off on Wednesday versus the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. Nasim Nunez will get the nod at the 6 and will bat ninth, while rookie outfielder Dylan Crews will play right field and be moved up to the leadoff spot against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon. Abrams is getting a day to clear his head after going hitless in eight at-bats with two strikeouts in the first two games of the series against the Bombers. The 23-year-old has actually hit better against lefties (.287 in 170 plate appearances), but he has only four of his 18 homers on the year against southpaws and could use a blow. Abrams has also gone 8-for-49 (.163) with a homer, three RBI and 17 K's in 13 games since Aug. 14. Crews will be playing in his third MLB game after debuting on Monday. He picked up his first big-league hit on Tuesday with a two-hit performance.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are both retreating to the bench on Friday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Truist Park with Braves All-Star left-hander Chris Sale toeing the rubber. Nasim Nunez will man shortstop and hit ninth, while Ildemaro Vargas will start at the keystone and bat sixth against Sale. DFS managers will probably want to avoid both Nunez and Vargas as low-cost deep sleepers in this matchup. Abrams has been a first-time All-Star in 2024 actually has had versus splits; he's hitting .291 (44-for-151) against southpaws this year, although only four of his 18 home runs have come against them. Garcia, meanwhile, is hitting .262 (22-for-84) against lefties but has yet to go deep against them this year. Garcia is also having a breakout campaign, already setting career-highs in homers (15), RBI (63) and steals (20) in 112 games.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (back) is starting at shortstop and is batting in the two-hole on Tuesday against the hosting Baltimore Orioles and left-hander Trevor Rogers at Camden Yards. Abrams will return to action on Tuesday after missing the three previous games due to back spasms. He'll be hoping to get things turned around in August, as he's gone just 5-for-31 (.161) so far this month with two homers and seven RBI in eight games. Only three of Abrams' 17 home runs on the year have come against left-handed pitchers, but he is batting .284 (38-for-134) against southpaws in 2024. In most fantasy leagues, managers will want to get Abrams back into their lineups. He's hitting just .200 in five career at-bats against Rogers, but he also has a homer and two RBI against him.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (back) will not play Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels. Abrams is considered day-to-day with back spasms that kept him out of Friday's series opener. Abrams reported that he first felt the issue on Thursday as he sat during a couple of rain delays. The team announced that Abrams will skip the rest of the weekend series to be ready to play in the next series with the Baltimore Orioles. With a scheduled off day on Monday, he will get more time to rest. The young shortstop has been a revelation this season, hitting .249 with 17 home runs, 59 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 68 runs scored for the Nationals. Look for Abrams to be back atop the starting lineup on Tuesday.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (back) is dealing with back spasms, which is why he was scratched from Friday's starting lineup in the series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. While Abrams' injury isn't expected to keep him out long term, fantasy managers will want to check back on Saturday to see if he returns to the starting lineup. Nasim Nunez got the start at the 6 on Friday night in place of Abrams but battled cramps and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the 3-2, extra-inning win. When he's in the lineup, the 23-year-old Abrams is a must-start in all fantasy lineups for his power/speed profile. The first-time All-Star is in the midst of a breakout campaign in 2024 with a .249/.320/.448 slash line, 17 homers, 59 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 108 games played. However, he's hitting just .165 (13-for-79) with two homers, 11 RBI and 16 K's in 19 games since the All-Star break.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The team hasn't given a reason as to why Abrams was pulled from the contest. The Nats should give more information on the situation soon, so fantasy managers should stay tuned. In his place, Nasim Nunez will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth against right-hander Jose Soriano.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams played the hero on Saturday afternoon as he went 1-for-5 with a two-run shot to lead the Nationals to a victory. Abrams launched his 15th long ball of the campaign in the ninth inning to give Washington the lead. This home run also snapped a four-game hitless streak. Overall, the 23-year-old has put up a solid .263/.344/.486 line with an excellent combination of power and speed with 15 round-trippers and 15 swiped bags. He currently sits with a .284 xBA, which suggests his batting average could continue to climb in the second half of the summer. Abrams remains one of the most valuable shortstops in standard category leagues due to his potential to be an elite five-category contributor on a daily basis.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams homered among three hits in a 14-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. Abrams is enjoying a breakout season, hitting .280 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 56 runs scored in 361 plate appearances. He is coming off a terrific June in which he hit a whopping .373 with four home runs, 16 RBI, six stolen bases and 18 runs scored. Abrams should continue to hold down the leadoff spot for an improving Washington squad.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams went 2-for-3 with his 13th home run of the season. He also knocked his 20th double of the season and added two RBI to increase his season total to 42. Abrams carries a strong .282/.339/.513 with 13 stolen bases and a 21:62 BB:K ratio. Abrams remains an elite fantasy asset as he has showcased an elite combination of power and speed throughout the first half of the 2024 campaign. Under the hood, Abrams carries a stellar .293 xBA, which places him in the top 94th percentile among all hitters. The 23-year-old should remain in your lineup every day as he will always be given prime scoring opportunities batting in the leadoff spot of the Washington lineup.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (wrist) is in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays. Abrams had X-rays taken on his left wrist following Friday's contest after being hit by a pitch in the seventh inning, but the tests came back clean. It's been a big season at the plate for the 23-year-old, who is hitting .278 with 12 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and an .832 OPS across 73 appearances and 324 trips to the plate. Abrams slugged 18 homers with 47 stolen bases in the 2023 campaign, giving fantasy managers a glimpse into the power/speed potential he could bring to the table in the 2024 season and beyond. Keep him in your starting lineups on Saturday.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (hand) had X-rays on his left hand that came back negative in the aftermath of Friday's game against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays. It was a precautionary measure for Abrams, who was hit in the left hand by a pitch in the seventh inning of Friday's clash with the Rays but was able to finish out the contest. There's not much reason to believe he's in jeopardy of missing Saturday's meeting in Tampa Bay, but he could receive a rare day off if his hand swells up overnight. The speedy 23-year-old slugger is giving fantasy managers plenty to sink their teeth into in 2024, slashing .278/.334/.498 with 36 extra-base hits, 40 RBI, 48 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases across 324 plate appearances as Washington's franchise centerpiece. With the Nats banged up following Friday's outing, switch-hitting utility man Ildemaro Vargas may be called upon for a spot start but offers limited upside from a fantasy standpoint.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (wrist) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The 23-year-old is back on the field after missing each of the last two games due to a wrist issue. He was dealing with a cyst near his wrist but it feels good enough for him to play on Friday. He'll return to the leadoff spot and serve as the shortstop against right-hander Dakota Hudson. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (wrist) is sitting out of the series finale on Thursday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. Ildemaro Vargas will take over at shortstop and will hit seventh against D-backs right-hander Ryne Nelson. Abrams was scratched from Wednesday's lineup against Arizona and was sent for an MRI exam on his left wrist. We still don't have the results of his exam, but the 23-year-old rising star will be held out of the lineup on Thursday as a precaution. Depending on the results of the MRI, Abrams could be sidelined into the weekend series in Colorado against the Rockies or even land on the 10-day injured list. Fantasy managers need to prepare for the worst and have a replacement ready. Vargas has looked good as a super utility man, going 37-for-128 (.289), but he has yet to homer and has 16 career long balls in eight big-league seasons.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss versus the Atlanta Braves. The home run would be his first since May 27. Abrams had a very hot start to the season, but his production dropped off in May, but that could be due to the fact that he has dealt with shoulder soreness. Despite having a rough month of May, Abrams has hit .246 with 10 homers, 27 RBI and eight stolen bases. With his ability to help across the board at the shortstop position, Abrams has become a good buy-low target for managers that are becoming impatient with his recent struggles.