Washington Nationals DH Jesse Winker had a big game in his team's 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Winker went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, and two RBI to help power his team to the win. The veteran is putting together a solid first season with the Nats, hitting .264 with 18 doubles, 11 homers, 47 runs, 43 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. The steals have been a pleasant surprise as he had just three steals in his career coming into 2024. Winker has worked his way into the conversation as a solid fantasy option this year.
The Washington Nationals are holding out second baseman Luis Garcia and outfielder Jesse Winker on Tuesday against the division-rival New York Mets with left-hander Sean Manaea on the mound in D.C. Ildemaro Vargas will start at the keystone and bat fifth, while Harold Ramirez will draw into the lineup at DH and bat third for the Nats. Also, top outfield prospect James Wood is making his second career start in left field and will hit sixth in the order. Garcia has hit just .180 (9-for-50) with none of his seven home runs this year against southpaws, but he's the teams regular second baseman against righties. Winker has had a bounce-back campaign with the Nats this year with nine home runs and 12 stolen bases in 81 games played. With Wood now in the fold in Washington, Winker should see more time as the DH.
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (knee) said following Friday's game against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays that there's nothing wrong structurally with his knee, and he hopes he can play on Saturday. Winker injured his knee after his foot got caught in the outfield turf in the first inning and had to exit the contest early, walking off the field with a limp, but he appears to have dodged a significant injury. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day before he's re-evaluated ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Rays. It's been a resurgent season for the 30-year-old lefty-hitting slugger, who's slashing .260/.377/.412 with nine home runs, 36 RBI, 37 runs scored, and a career-high 12 stolen bases through 250 at-bats as Washington's primary left fielder. If the rebuilding Nats opt to put Winker, a potential trade chip at July's deadline, on the injured list, a clearer pathway to playing time would emerge for incoming top prospect James Wood.
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker was a major contributor in his team's 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Winker went 1-for-3 with a homer, a walk, and two RBI, helping to power the Nationals to victory in the contest. The veteran's two-run homer in the sixth inning put the Nationals on top 2-1 and wound up being the deciding hit in the win. Winker is now hitting .266 with seven homers, 34 runs, 33 RBI, and 11 steals across 229 at-bats. The 11 steals have been an unexpected development as Winker came into the 2024 season with just three career steals in 610 games. Partially thanks to his newfound penchant for stealing bases, Winker has emerged as a solid bench piece in deeper fantasy leagues this year.
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (cramps) has returned to the starting lineup on Monday to play the opening game of a four-game set against the division-rival Atlanta Braves. Winker left Saturday's game early and was kept out of the lineup on Sunday due to cramping. However, this injury did not seem serious and the 30-year-old is already back in the lineup. Winker will serve as the designated hitter this afternoon and bat in the six-hole, which opens up left field for Eddie Rosario, who will bat cleanup. Winker has looked much better through his first 49 games as a National compared to the previous two seasons. He currently holds a .228/.345/.395 slash line with six home runs and could be a value play in DFS as he faces right-hander Charlie Morton, who currently has a 3.35 ERA.
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (cramps) is out of the team's starting lineup on Sunday versus the visiting Seattle Mariners. Manager Dave Martinez said that Winker cramped up while running the bases in Saturday's win over Seattle, and now he'll receive a day off on Sunday. It's unclear exactly where Winker's cramping occurred, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now and check back to see if he's back in the lineup on Monday for the series opener on Memorial Day against the Braves in Atlanta. The 30-year-old veteran left-handed hitter has picked things up of late at the plate, but he's still hitting only .230 (37-for-161) on the season with six home runs, 21 RBI, six stolen bases and 23 runs scored. Ildemaro Vargas is in left field on Sunday and is batting fifth against Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo.
Jesse Winker Cramps Up, Exits Saturday's Game Early
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker cramped up while running the bases in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. He went 2-for-3 before being replaced by Victor Robles in the seventh inning. The Nationals didn't go into specifics as to what was ailing Winker. According to Nationals manager Davey Martinez, Winker is fine and should be able to play on Sunday. The 30-year-old has logged multi-hit efforts in two of his last five games. Overall, the veteran is slashing .230/.349/.398 with six home runs, 21 RBI, 23 runs, and six stolen bases over 48 games in 2024. If Winker is available for Sunday's game, he is mainly a fantasy option in deep-league formats.
Jesse Winker Not Playing First Game Of Doubleheader
Washington Nationals DH and outfielder Jesse Winker (back) is not in the starting lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. In Winker's absence, the Nationals will be starting Nick Senzel at DH while he hits sixth. Winker is dealing with a back injury and has struggled at the plate this season, as he's slashing .235/.350/.736 with four home runs and 18 RBI. But in the last 15 games, he's slashing .167/.274/.315 with two home runs and nine RBI. The 30-year-old is a boom-or-bust fantasy option, as he can hit home runs, but he does strike out a ton and has struggled to put the ball in play of late. Winker is currently just 18% rostered in Yahoo leagues and 13% rostered in ESPN fantasy leagues.
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran outfielder was forced to exit early during Sunday's game due to back spasms. Winker is reportedly feeling better on Monday but will sit out at least one more game. Winker holds a .143/.247/.247 slash line over his last 21 games so he hasn't been much of a help to fantasy managers anyway. Jared Young, Eddie Rosario, and Victor Robles will cover the outfield on Monday.
Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) left the game early in the fifth inning on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox due to back spasms. Winker felt it before the contest and it got worse after he dove for a line drive in the outfield early in the game. Before leaving, Winker was hitless in his two at-bats and was replaced in left field by Ildemaro Vargas. The 30-year-old veteran left-handed hitter is now slashing .235/.350/.386 on the year with four home runs, 18 RBI, four stolen bases and 19 runs scored in 132 at-bats. At the very least, it's unlikely that Winker will be in action on Monday for the series opener against the Chicago White Sox. If the Nationals don't elect to call up top prospect James Wood from the minors, more playing time will go to Victor Robles if Winker needs a trip to the injured list.
