The Washington Nationals have placed shortstop CJ Abrams on the 10-day injured list, the team announced on social media Saturday afternoon. Middle infielder Nasim Nuñez was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.
Per manager Davey Martinez, Abrams felt a flexor muscle in his right hip tighten up uncomfortably stealing a base in the 3rd inning against the Marlins on Friday, then again while making a play in the field in the bottom half of the inning. CJ missed the first two games of the series against the Dodgers on Monday and Tuesday with right thigh tightness, and after homering in the season finale, he exited after two plate appearances in the opener versus Miami.
The severity of the injury is unknown presently. A severe hip strain can take months to recover from, like Luis Robert Jr. in the middle of the White Sox' run to the Postseason in 2021. More likely, it's a mild to moderate injury, which presents Abrams with less time on the shelf, but still no timetable at present.
That's a big blow to the Nationals and Abrams especially. After a hot first half in 2024 that translated into an All-Star Game berth for CJ, he spiraled out of control at the plate and lost his touch, OPSing just .586 in the back half of the season. He's largely turned things back in his favor in the box in the early goings, hitting 4 home runs in 46 plate appearances and stealing 4 bases without being caught. The Nationals will sorely miss his contributions as they try to prove to the rest of the National League that they're ready to be taken seriously again.
Nasim Nuñez, who was called up to replace him on the roster, was a Rule 5 Draft pick from the Marlins organization last season. Now 24, Nuñez was never highly regarded for his bat, but rather his slick fielding in the middle infield and savvy baserunning chops. His historically high walk rate has continued through 10 games at Triple-A Rochester this year, though he has just five hits, all singles.
Nuñez doesn't figure to slide his way into the starting lineup very much during CJ's absence; the move likely opens up more playing time for José Tena and potentially Amed Rosario as Paul DeJong appears a prime candidate to shift back to his natural position at shortstop. DeJong has failed to impress at the plate in the early goings this season, but has rebounded excellently defensively as expected following struggles in the field for much of last season. His 4 Outs Above Average, mostly playing third base, rank him in the 99th percentile so far in the 2025 campaign.