With the Washington Nationals set to begin their annual Beltway Series against the Baltimore Orioles tonight in DC, the team should hopefully be getting some major reinforcements to the big league club pretty soon. While we haven't seen CJ Abrams or Michael Soroka for what feels like forever, it appears as if both players are nearing a return.
As of this morning, Michael Soroka and CJ Abrams will both be down with the AA Harrisburg Senators starting tonight for rehab assignments. This is absolutely positive news for both players, and the Nationals have patiently been awaiting both of their returns. The offense has sputtered without Abrams in the lineup, and Soroka will likely be brought back into the rotation as well.
Soroka will actually be making the start down in Harrisburg for tonight's game, and while the lineups have not yet been officially released, it is probably pretty safe to assume that Abrams will be leading off for the team. If everything goes according to plan for Abrams, he could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday, and be ready to join the club for their weekend series against the New York Mets.
As I mentioned before and wrote about yesterday, the Nationals offense desperately needs Abrams to return to the lineup, and being able to get him back before Juan Soto and the high-powered Mets lineup comes to town for the weekend would be a huge plus. The offense was pretty awful for the majority of their 10-game road trip, and a lot of that had to do with the team missing their All-Star shortstop.
We'll have so NEW faces on this island tonight! ⭐
— Harrisburg Senators (@HbgSenators) April 22, 2025
Mike Soroka and CJ Abrams are expected to make MLB Rehab assignments tonight in Harrisburg!
RHP Mike Soroka is expected to make a rehad start tonight for our game at 6:30pm!
🎟️🔗 ➡️ https://t.co/hIcPQuxlgS pic.twitter.com/203ghM6SoE
With Soroka, his return to the club will be interesting. While I would assume he grabs a rotation spot upon his reinstatement from the IL, who he forces out of the rotation is another story. Veteran righty Trevor Williams has been the team's worst starting pitcher this year, and youngster Brad Lord has been on a pretty strict pitch count in his starts, but has looked pretty solid overall.
Since the team desperately needs help in the bullpen, I hope that Soroka's reinstatement would force the Nationals to DFA Lucas Sims, who has more than worn out his welcome in DC to this point. I would be very upset to see either Jackson Rutledge or Cole Henry get optioned down to the minors, as they have more than earned opportunities to stay with the club over Sims and lefty Colin Poche.
The bottom line is that both players are nearing a return, and the Nationals could happily welcome both players back within the next week or so.
When do you think Abrams and Soroka will return to the Nationals? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.