Aug 24, 2026, 1:54 PM ET

Washington Nationals rookie first baseman/outfielder Abimelec Ortiz can be a nice under-the-radar source of power for fantasy managers in deeper leagues for the rest of the 2026 season. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting Puerto Rican made his major-league debut on July 12 but was sent back to the minors immediately. He resurfaced in the majors on Aug. 3, although he has gone only 12-for-60 (.200) at the plate in 19 games and 63 plate appearances, he has added five home runs and nine RBI for the Nats. Per MLB Pipeline, Ortiz is ranked as the club's No. 19 prospect. The 5-foot-10, 230-pounder hit .244/.348/.497 with an .845 OPS, 18 home runs, 74 RBI, and 55 runs scored in 85 games across 365 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester before getting the call again in early August. Ortiz packs a punch with plus raw power from the left side, and he consistently knows how to access his pull power. Plate discipline is not his strong suit, but with 25-30-homer power over a full season, fantasy managers in deeper leagues seeking pop may want to give Ortiz a look. He is rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 24, 2026, 9:36 AM ET

Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King has seen his production soar at the Triple-A level and is making a strong case to be viewed as the No. 1 prospect to start in all of fantasy baseball. Over his last 20 games, King has posted an elite .388/.490/.762 slash line with four doubles, one triple, eight home runs, and five stolen bases. King began the 2026 season at the Double-A level, where he posted a similar .336/.427/.562 line with a .989 OPS. In total, the top-ranked infield prospect in D.C. has posted a dominant .325/.410/.563 line with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 88 MiLB games this season. While the Nationals are out of the playoff race, King has put himself in strong consideration to earn a cup of coffee with the club, which would set him up for a larger role in 2027. His five-category upside puts him high on all stash rankings ahead of Week 22.--Andy Smith
Source: MiLB.com

Aug 23, 2026, 11:55 AM ET

Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (ankle) is missing a fourth straight game on Sunday in the series finale in Miami against the division-rival Marlins, according to MLB.com. Nasim Nunez is at shortstop and is batting eighth, while Jose Tena will make another start at second and bat fifth for the Nats against Marlins right-hander Janson Junk. Abrams could be a candidate to land on the 10-day injured list early next week after spraining his left ankle in Wednesday's contest against the Texas Rangers. Fantasy managers will want to check back on his status on Monday before the start of a new series at home against the Colorado Rockies. The 25-year-old former first-rounder was recently asked to move from shortstop to second base, and although Abrams was not happy about the organization's decision, he is willing to do what is best for the franchise. Offensively, Abrams is in the midst of a career year and has been a must-start in all fantasy leagues, slashing .279/.354/.530 with an .884 OPS, 29 homers, 91 RBI, 24 steals, and 77 runs scored across his 124 games and 534 plate appearances in his fifth year in the majors.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Aug 22, 2026, 2:12 PM ET

Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King is red-hot at Triple-A Rochester with five homers in his last six games and eight homers and 15 RBI during the month of August while hitting .394. In 51 games since his promotion to Rochester, King is hitting .320 with 13 homers and 41 RBI to go with nine stolen bases. The talented middle infielder hit .336 at Double-A Harrisburg prior to his promotion, but has battled injuries this season. King is the No. 4 prospect for the Nationals out of Wake Forest and boasts 70-grade speed. Likely to be a big-time five-category producer at the major league level, King could get a look this season, but the Nationals have been hesitant to give him a promotion. With CJ Abrams and Nasim Nunez manning shortstop and second base respectively it is unlikely for King to get the call this year, but if he keeps up the power stroke he could force his way to a promotion.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Minor League Baseball

Aug 22, 2026, 2:11 PM ET

Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (ankle) is missing a third straight game on Saturday against the division-rival Miami Marlins due to a left-ankle injury that he suffered in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers, per MLB.com. Abrams is considered day-to-day for now, but if he is unable to return for the weekend series against Miami, the Nats could be forced to send him to the 10-day injured list next week. Nasim Nunez is starting at shortstop and batting ninth, while Jose Tena will man the keystone and hit sixth on Saturday against Marlins right-hander Eury Perez. Abrams, who recently was asked to move from shortstop to second base, is having a breakout 2026 campaign offensively, hitting .279/.354/.530 with an .884 OPS, 29 home runs, 91 RBI, 24 stolen bases, and 77 runs scored across 124 games and 534 plate appearances. He has already set career highs in home runs and RBI in his fifth year in the big leagues. Fantasy managers would really love to get good news that he will be ready to return for Sunday's series finale in Miami.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Aug 20, 2026, 9:29 PM ET

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (ankle) is being held out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. This comes after Abrams was forced to exit early during Wednesday's game after suffering a left ankle sprain. According to Mark Zuckerman, Nats' manager Blake Butera said Abrams is day-to-day, but he could require imaging. The team will likely wait and see how Abrams feels on Friday before they decide what to do going forward. The expectation is that Nasim Nunez and Jose Tena will be asked to hold down the fort in the middle of the infield until Abrams can return. Fantasy managers should check back on Friday for another update on his status.--Andy Webb
Source: Mark Zuckerman

Aug 20, 2026, 3:04 PM ET

Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales has cooled off at the plate, going 3-for-24 (.125) over the last six games at Triple-A Rochester. Despite the slowdown, the Nats' 26th-ranked prospect has had a solid campaign overall, hitting .287 with an .892 OPS and 23 home runs in 94 games for the Red Wings. There is a ton of pop in his bat, with average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all registering in the 91st percentile or better at Triple-A, so there is some intrigue for fantasy purposes, especially if he were to be placed in the middle of MLB's highest-ranking team in terms of runs scored per game (5.28). There is some batting average risk due to elevated chase and whiff rates, but the 24-year-old represents an under-the-radar stash option for home runs and RBI for a late-season run to the fantasy playoffs.--Jarod Rupp
Source: MiLB.com

Aug 19, 2026, 9:14 AM ET

Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King went 1-for-5 on Tuesday at Triple-A Rochester, extending his hit streak to nine games, with his lone hit being a home run, which gives the Nats' fourth-ranked prospect a round-tripper in three of his last four contests. During the nine-game hit streak, the former first-rounder is 16-for-37 (.432) with two doubles, five home runs, and a pair of stolen bases. It brings his season slash line at Triple-A to .298/.372/.513 with 10 home runs and six steals in 48 games for the Red Wings. While it has been an impressive stretch, it was reported last week that the organization does not expect to promote the youngster to the majors in 2026, even despite moving incumbent CJ Abrams to second base. As such, there is no need to stash the 23-year-old in redraft leagues, though his dynasty arrow is still pointing up.--Jarod Rupp
Source: MiLB.com

Aug 18, 2026, 1:19 PM ET

The Athletic's Spencer Nusbaum reports that Washington Nationals two-time All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams "remains uneasy" about the team's decision to move him from shortstop to second base, according to his agent, Mike Sanders. However, both Abrams and the Nationals' front office have a desire to find common ground despite "lingering disagreement about the timing and the necessity of the position change." "I think, first, CJ was not thrilled about the decision to move him off shortstop at this time," Sanders said. "But his priority is to win games for the Nationals and to be a team-first player, so that is what he's going to do." Abrams views himself as a shortstop long-term and plans to spend the winter focusing on improving his defense at his preferred position. The 25-year-old is in the middle of an offensive breakout in 2026 -- he ranks sixth in FanGraphs' offensive value -- but he also ranks last in baseball in several defensive metrics despite his athleticism. For fantasy purposes, if Abrams' move to second does not tank his offensive numbers, it will boost his fantasy appeal by giving him eligibility at both second and shortstop for the 2027 campaign.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum

Aug 18, 2026, 12:09 PM ET

Washington Nationals third base prospect Yohandy Morales has been having a solid season at Triple-A Rochester at age 24. In 359 at bats with Rochester, the right-handed hitter has 23 homers and 67 RBI with 73 runs scored while hitting .287. The talented infield prospect is pushing for a promotion to the major leagues and with his numbers at Triple-A, he has demonstrated that he might be ready for that call-up. Morales is not currently in the top 30 prospects for the Nationals according to MLB.com, but he has done a good job of showing that he can hit at the high levels of the minors. He has an .891 OPS for Rochester and has produced even with missing some time due to an IL stint in late July to early August. Morales could be a sneaky waiver wire addition this season in redraft leagues as he may not be on everyone's radar. But he could produce given a big-league chance.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Minor League Baseball

Aug 17, 2026, 2:28 PM ET

Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues who have been stashing Washington Nationals middle-infield prospect Seaver King all year shouldn't necessarily be expecting him to make his major-league debut late this year now that the Nats are moving CJ Abrams to second base, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. King, who is a top-100 prospect in MLB and Washington's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has had a breakout 2026 campaign at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, slashing a combined .316/.398/.529 with a .928 OPS, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored across 82 games played and 375 plate appearances. According to people familiar with the team's thinking, the Nationals are "reluctant" to rush King to the majors, and he can still benefit from more at-bats and defensive reps at Rochester. Nationals officials are also interested to see whether Abrams and Nasim Nunez can thrive in their flipped roles up the middle. Nunez offers more defensive upside and stability at the 6, but he's hitting just .228 with a .578 OPS in 408 plate appearances. In theory, Nusbaum writes that the Nationals could keep King at Triple-A for the rest of the season. There are multiple things to consider here for the Nats, but the optics of moving an All-Star (Abrams) off his primary position, and then having a rookie take his spot, "could have awkward consequences," especially if King is eventually moved off shortstop in the coming years.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum

Aug 17, 2026, 11:33 AM ET

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter is the Nationals' primary closer and is widely available on the waiver wire if you need saves down the stretch -- he's rostered in only 17% of Yahoo leagues. The 27-year-old hasn't been perfect by any means, but he has 10 more saves than the next closest reliever in the Nats' bullpen. In his third major-league season and first full year in D.C., Beeter has recorded a 5-3 record, 3.55 ERA (5.13 FIP), a 1.26 WHIP, a career-high 12 saves, and a 39:24 K:BB in 38 innings pitched over his 40 appearances out of the bullpen. Since the All-Star break, he's allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits (two homers) while walking six and striking out eight for two wins, a loss, five saves, one blown save, and a hold. Beeter's 15% walk rate makes him volatile for sure, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues may have no choice, and the good news is that nobody else in Washington's bullpen is really challenging him for saves.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 16, 2026, 4:20 PM ET

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) is progressing more slowly than the team hoped since landing on the Injured List, according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com. On Sunday, Nats manager Blake Butera told reporters that progress has been slow for Wood, but he hasn't been shut down from baseball activities. Wood has been throwing, taking dry swings, and swinging off a tee, but isn't ready for more intense work yet. He has been out since August 4 and will likely require a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the Nats roster. There's a chance that Wood is back by the end of August, but fantasy managers might have to wait until the beginning of September before Wood returns.--Andy Webb
Source: Mark Zuckerman

Aug 14, 2026, 5:40 PM ET

The Washington Nationals announced on Friday that shortstop CJ Abrams is going to start making the transition to second base for the rest of the 2026 season, with Nasim Nunez becoming the team's primary shortstop, according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com. The Nationals broached the subject with Abrams around a week ago, and he was on board with it. Abrams is at the 6 and is hitting leadoff for Friday's contest against the division-rival New York Mets, but the Nats will slowly begin to transition him over to the keystone. The 25-year-old has not played second base since he was with the San Diego Padres back in 2022. While the move will improve Washington's middle-infield defense, it will also make him more attractive in fantasy with both second base and shortstop eligibility for the 2027 season. The former sixth overall pick in 2019 is having his best year in the big leagues in his fourth full season in D.C., as he enters Friday's action with a .284/.357/.541 slash line, .898 OPS, a career-high 29 home runs, a league-leading 91 RBI, 23 stolen bases, and 76 runs scored in 119 games across 512 plate appearances.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NatsJournal.com - Mark Zuckerman