Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas had a big night at the plate in his team's 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday. Thomas went 3-for-6 with a double, a triple, two runs, and four RBI to help power his team to the win. The veteran outfielder is now hitting .238 with five doubles, two triples, eight homers, 25 runs, 28 RBI, and 16 steals over 181 at-bats this season. He has been red-hot at the plate of late, batting .300 with four homers and 10 RBI over his past seven games. Fantasy gamers should consider Thomas for their starting lineups while he's on a hot streak.
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss against the Atlanta Braves. The home run would be the fourth of the season for Thomas. The outfielder missed some time earlier in the season with a sprained MCL and has hit .250 with two homers, six RBI and four stolen bases since his return last week. Thomas has a breakout campaign in 2023, while showcasing both power and speed and that hasn't stopped this season. Although he is still shaking off some rust, Thomas remains a viable option in most formats.
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas filled up the box score in Wednesday's win over the division-rival Atlanta Braves, going 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a double, a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in the victory. Before making an awesome sliding catch in right field to retire Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in the fifth inning, Thomas hammered a three-run homer to left field to give the Nationals a 3-1 lead in the top of the frame. Although the speedy 28-year-old right fielder is still slashing a poor .210/.273/.330 with three big flies, 13 RBI, and nine runs scored over 100 at-bats overall this year, he's stolen 13 bases across 25 outings overall and gone 5-for-13 with four-extra base hits since returning from the injured list. The buy-low window in fantasy appears to be swiftly closing.
The Washington Nationals reinstated outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and designated outfielder Victor Robles for assignment in a corresponding move. Thomas is back in right field on Monday and is batting in the two-hole against Atlanta Braves veteran right-hander Charlie Morton in his first game back. The 28-year-old will return for the first time since late April due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain and should be thrown back into starting fantasy lineups because of his impressive power/speed combination. Ignore the fact that he hit only .184/.250/.253 with two home runs to begin the year, as he also had 11 stolen bases in 87 at-bats. The former fifth-rounder by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014 needs to be rostered everywhere and will play regularly for the Nats now that he's healthy again.
Lane Thomas To Continue Rehabbing Knee, Will Be Re-Evaluated After Weekend
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) will continue rehabbing his knee in the minor leagues and will be re-evaluated after the weekend, per Nationals manager Dave Martinez. Thomas is currently with Double-A Harrisburg but could also make his way to Triple-A Rochester. The righty has been recovering from a sprained MCL for the past month. Washington's offense is in need of some offensive firepower, scoring over three runs just three times in their past nine games. Thomas had been performing well below his norms prior to his injury, but if he returns to his .783 OPS from 2023 it'd be a great help to a desperate Nationals offense. Fantasy managers should be prepare for his return in the next week or so under the assumption that no setbacks happen over the weekend.
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) is getting ready to return and could be reinstated from the injured list as early as Friday night's series opener against the visiting Seattle Mariners. The Nationals have managed just a .503 OPS in 22 games since Thomas sprained the MCL in his left knee a month ago, so they will certainly welcome his return. In the course of his career in D.C., Thomas has a .747 OPS. He spent the last three days on a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg, where he went 2-for-9 with a double, walk, two strikeouts and a stolen base. Most importantly, he played a full nine innings on Thursday night. If Thomas doesn't return to the big-league lineup on Friday, it will likely come later this weekend or early next week. The 28-year-old will be an everyday hitter near the top of the lineup when he returns, and he shouldn't be floating around any waiver wires in fantasy.
Lane Thomas Could Return To Nationals This Weekend
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, and if all goes well, he'll play again on Wednesday. The team will then decide if Thomas is ready to come off the injured list or if he needs more time on his rehab assignment. If the Nationals are happy with what they see from the 28-year-old on Tuesday and Wednesday, he could return to the big-league lineup on Friday for the series opener against the Seattle Mariners. Thomas has been out almost a month with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, but he should be rostered in all fantasy formats despite going 16-for-87 (.184) before his injury. He already has 11 stolen bases in 22 games in 2024 after being a 20-20 man in 2023.
Lane Thomas Could Be Ready For Rehab Assignment This Week
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) could be ready to start his rehab assignment this week, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Thomas suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain on April 23 and has been mixing in some running over the past week. If all goes well in Thomas' rehab stint, he could return to the Nationals' lineup by the end of May. The 28-year-old was performing well below his norms before his MCL sprain, hitting for just a .503 OPS in 96 plate appearances. Based off his expected stats, he should regress positively and perform closer to his norms once he returns, with a good amount of his value coming from stolen bases (11 on the season). Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status, though he may be best as a bench option rather than a starter.
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. Cavalli has been recovering from Tommy John surgery that was performed in March 2023 and has been progressing after throwing multiple bullpen sessions over the past few weeks. Once Cavalli makes his first start, then that will start his 30-day rehab block. Only dynasty managers should be concerned with Cavalli's status as he works to return to the big leagues.
Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) is doing some baserunning on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 sprain of his left MCL three weeks ago. Thomas isn't running at 100 percent yet, but it didn't look like he was at much less than full speed on Wednesday. It sounds as though Thomas is getting very close to embarking on a minor-league rehab assignment, although the Nationals could want to see him play in at least a handful of games given his long layoff. Still, the 28-year-old could return from the injured list before the end of May, barring any setbacks. Thomas was hitting just .184 (16-for-87) with two homers and 10 RBI before his injury, but he also contributed 11 stolen bases in just 22 games and was a 20-20 player in 2023. He should not be floating around on the waiver wire in any fantasy league.
