James Wood Fantasy Stats

The Washington Nationals officially activated outfielder James Wood (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, and he is starting in right field and batting leadoff against the visiting Atlanta Braves and right-hander Grant Holmes, according to the team. Wood will make his return to Washington's roster after missing almost a month with a strained left oblique. He is back in the starting nine after going 2-for-6 with a homer in two minor-league rehab games. Although the left-handed slugger has hit just .191 (13-for-68) with a .620 OPS and just two home runs in 17 games since the All-Star break, fantasy managers will want to get him back into their lineups in all traditional leagues now that he is healthy. Wood clobbered 28 home runs, drove in 64, and stole 15 bases in the first half of the campaign and remains one of the best all-around sluggers in the game. In just six career at-bats against Holmes, Wood is hitting .167, but he does have a solo home run against him. Wood has the ability to put fantasy teams over the top in September.

Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera said that outfielder James Wood (oblique) will "be back in the Nationals lineup (on Wednesday) if he feels good in the AM," per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Wood has been sidelined by an oblique injury since early August. However, the 23-year-old has now made a couple of rehab appearances with Double-A Harrisburg and appears to be ready to return to the big leagues. Across 535 plate appearances before the injury, Wood slashed .265/.393/.535 with 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. Wood owns an elevated 28.6% strikeout rate, but he's walked in 16.8% of his plate appearances and owns elite barrel (20.8%) and hard-hit (57.6%) rates. Once activated, Wood profiles as a must-start fantasy outfielder.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) will likely "play in at least one more rehab game" and "most likely won't be playing" for the Nationals on Tuesday, per Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal. Wood has been on the 10-day injured list since early August due to an oblique injury. While Wood seems to be on the doorstep of a return to the big leagues, he's played in just one rehab game so far, and it appears the team wants him to log a few more minor league at-bats before activating him. Across 535 plate appearances before the injury, Wood slashed .265/.393/.535 with 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. The 23-year-old's high-end production in 2026 is supported by his elite barrel (20.8%) and hard-hit (57.6%) rates. Upon his return, Wood has the ability to swing fantasy leagues in the season's final month.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) will play seven innings in left field for Double-A Harrisburg in a minor-league rehab game on Sunday, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Wood wanted to see live pitching before the Nats reinstated him from the 10-day injured list. If everything goes well on Sunday, manager Blake Butera said that the team will likely give the left-handed slugger Monday off. Barring a setback, it looks as though Wood will return from the IL to rejoin the starting nine in D.C. for the start of a series against the division-rival Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The 23-year-old two-time All-Star will immediately be a must-start again in all fantasy baseball leagues when he returns to a .265/.393/.535 slash line, a .928 OPS, 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored in his 437 at-bats in 2026. Even though Wood has hit .191 (13-for-68) with just two of his 30 homers in 17 games since the All-Star break, he could carry fantasy teams down the stretch in the final month of the regular season in September after recovering from a strained oblique muscle.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) took a full round of batting practice on the field on Friday for the first time since landing on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique 3 1/2 weeks ago, according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com. It appears that his return to the active roster "may not be that far off." Manager Blake Butera said that Wood may not need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he is activated, suggesting that the All-Star slugger could be back in the team's lineup within the week. "We'll probably just have him get right back with us," Butera said. Wood has been ramping up his baseball activities this week and appears to be on the verge of a return, barring a setback this weekend. Getting the 23-year-old former second-rounder back in fantasy lineups for the final month of the regular season in September could be the difference-maker, as he already has 30 homers, 73 RBI, an even 100 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, and a .265/.393/.535 slash line in 437 at-bats this year. Wood will be a must-start immediately in all leagues upon his return to the Nats' roster.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) was seen doing some running at Nationals Park on Thursday, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. On Monday, Wood was able to extend his flat-ground throwing to 120 feet and resumed hitting off a tee, so he is making concrete progress from a strained left oblique that he suffered three weeks ago. It is unclear if the 23-year-old left-handed slugger will be required to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list, but he is certainly getting closer to a return to the Nats. Wood should be stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues while he recovers, as he's one of the best all-around outfielders in the game and was hitting .265/.393/.535 with a .928 OPS, 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored in 437 at-bats at the time of his injury. The two-time All-Star still has time left in the 2026 season to make a significant impact for fantasy managers in the final month of the regular season in September.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) threw out to 120 feet and hit off a tee on Monday, according to Danielle Allentuck of The Washington Post. Wood is not quite on the verge of a return from a strained left oblique, but the 23-year-old All-Star is making notable progress. If he requires a minor-league rehab assignment, Wood probably will not be an option to return to the big-league roster before the calendar flips to September early next week. Still, he should be held in all fantasy baseball leagues for the potential damage he could do in the final month of the regular season. The former second-rounder by the San Diego Padres in 2021 is one of the best young power/speed assets in the league, and he'll eventually be returning to a .265/.393/.535 slash line with a .928 OPS, 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored. Wood still carries a high 28.6% strikeout rate in his third year in the big leagues, but he makes up for it by hitting the ball as hard as anyone when he does make contact at the plate.

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.

The Washington Nationals do not expect outfielder James Wood (oblique) to be ready to come off the 10-day injured list later this week when he's eligible, manager Blake Butera told Danielle Allentuck of The Washington Post. Wood took stationary dry balls and threw out to 45 feet over the weekend, and he will progress to taking dry swings on Tuesday. The left-handed power hitter has been on the shelf since suffering a left-oblique strain on Aug. 3. He's improving, but his return may not come until next week. In his absence, Dylan Crews has been starting regularly for the Nats in right field. Wood needs to be stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues while he recovers from his oblique injury as one of the best young all-around hitters in the game. Before his injury, the former second-rounder in 2021 was hitting .265 (116-for-437) with 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored in just his second full season in the major leagues. He still leads the league in runs scored and walks (90) in his 114 games played.

The Washington Nationals placed outfielder James Wood (oblique) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a mild oblique strain, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Manager Blake Butera said the team hopes that Wood will have a close-to-minimum stay on the IL. The club is recalling outfielder Andrew Pinckney from the minors to replace Wood on the active MLB roster. It's not what Wood's fantasy managers want to hear, but the good news is that he'll have a shot to return when he's first eligible on Aug. 14. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger has been an All-Star in two of his three MLB seasons, and he currently leads the league in walks (90) and runs scored (100) while slashing .265/.393/.535 with a .928 OPS, 30 home runs, 73 RBI, and 17 stolen bases across 114 games and 535 plate appearances. Wood needs to be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues as one of the best five-category producers in the game in just his third season in the majors. He needs just two more home runs to set a new career high in that category after hitting 31 dingers in 2025.