CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr. Both Out Against A Lefty
Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are both retreating to the bench on Friday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Truist Park with Braves All-Star left-hander Chris Sale toeing the rubber. Nasim Nunez will man shortstop and hit ninth, while Ildemaro Vargas will start at the keystone and bat sixth against Sale. DFS managers will probably want to avoid both Nunez and Vargas as low-cost deep sleepers in this matchup. Abrams has been a first-time All-Star in 2024 actually has had versus splits; he's hitting .291 (44-for-151) against southpaws this year, although only four of his 18 home runs have come against them. Garcia, meanwhile, is hitting .262 (22-for-84) against lefties but has yet to go deep against them this year. Garcia is also having a breakout campaign, already setting career-highs in homers (15), RBI (63) and steals (20) in 112 games.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. belted his 15th home run of the season with three RBI in Wednesday night's win over the visiting Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park. Garcia hammered a three-run shot off Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon to right-center field in Wednesday's victory over Colorado, making the score 5-0 Nationals in the third inning. The 24-year-old infielder has evolved into a difference-making pickup for fantasy managers since July 3, batting .368 (50-for-136) with eight homers, 26 RBI, and 22 runs scored in his last 37 games as Washington's everyday second baseman.
Luis Garcia Jr. Continues To Help Across The Board
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. did it all in Thursday's loss versus the San Francisco Giants. Garcia went 2-for-4 in the contest, scoring two runs with a three-run home run and stolen base. Garcia has quietly put together a solid all-around campaign in 2024 as he is now hitting .290 with 14 homers, 56 RBI and 19 stolen bases. The 24-year-old is having a true breakout season as many had written him off entering the year and managers that were wise enough to take a chance on him have been rewarded. Although he hits near the bottom of the order, he is still being productive at second base, where there aren't many options to choose from. Garcia's xwOBA stands at .345 for the season with a strong xBA of .293, suggesting his season has been no fluke and there is no need to sell-high. The second baseman will look to build off his strong effort on Friday versus Jose Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (undisclosed) was a late scratch from Sunday's starting lineup. Currently, Garica should be considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury for now. As a result, 32-year-old Ildemaro Vargas will occupy the keystone this afternoon and bat in the seven-hole. Garcia went 2-for-2 with a home run yesterday, which extended his current hitting streak to five games. The 24-year-old is on pace to have the best season of his major league career with a strong .281/.313/.444 line, 11 home runs, 45 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Fantasy managers should pay close to Garcia's status heading into the All-Star Break.
Luis Garcia Jr. Homers In 6-5 Win Over Milwaukee Brewers
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. smacked a pinch-hit home run Saturday off Jacob Junis. The Nationals went on to win the game 6-5, scoring two runs in the ninth inning to complete the victory. On the year, Garcia Jr. is hitting .281 with 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 34 runs scored on the season. Those who drafted Garcia Jr. have reaped the benefit of a hitter getting daily at-bats with double-digit home runs and stolen bases.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. kept his foot on the gas in Friday's loss to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, piling up four hits with a home run and a stolen base in the defeat. Following an RBI single in the first inning, Garcia gave the Nats a 5-0 lead with a solo homer off Cardinals ace Sonny Gray in the third frame. The 24-year-old infielder now has six RBI in his past two appearances, going 10-for-24 (.417) with three round-trippers and two stolen bases over his last seven outings. Providing a decent level of speed and pop as Washington's everyday second baseman, Garcia is starting to command more attention in deeper mixed and NL-only fantasy leagues.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-5 with his sixth home run of the season in Friday's 11-5 rout of the Rockies. The three-run blast gave him 31 RBI on the season, and he scored once in the contest as well. The 24-year-old is having a solid season, now with a .266-6-31-21-10 line with a .305 wOBA and 96 wRC+. The 10 stolen bases are nice, but unless you need them you could probably find similar, if not better, production elsewhere on the waiver wire.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (heel) is back in action on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Aaron Nola, serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. Ildemaro Vargas is at second base and will hit in the two-hole for the Nats. A right-heel forced Garcia out of the lineup the last two days, but he will return on Sunday. It's unclear when the 24-year-old will be feeling good enough to return to defensive duties at the keystone. Garcia has plenty of experience in his career against Nola and is batting .250 against him in 24 at-bats with three RBI and a .655 OPS. He's having a very solid season so far at the plate but has cooled off a bit in May, going 11-for-42 (.262) with two home runs, nine RBI and two stolen bases in 12 games played. It's also not the best matchup for Garcia coming off a minor injury.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (heel) has been scratched from the starting lineup on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies after injuring his right heel in Chicago. Garcia thinks he'll be fine to play on Saturday. Ildemaro Vargas will replace Garcia at the keystone on Friday and will hit fifth against Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler. Fantasy managers should consider Garcia day-to-day for now and check back on Saturday to see if he's put back in the lineup. Garcia is in the midst of the best season of his MLB career in 2024 and is currently hitting .283/.336/.433 with three home runs, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases in 37 games, so fantasy managers are hoping he's back on Saturday after also missing Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox. Vargas is merely a low-ceiling DFS sleeper in a tough matchup.
Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base during Sunday's 6-0 win over the Houston Astros. Garcia is now slashing .317/.348/.476 with one home run, 10 RBI and five stolen bases through 19 games. The 23-year-old has struggled with consistency thus far in his career, but he has looked composed at the plate to start 2024. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues could look to Garcia as a sneaky source of steals as he should continue to serve as the everyday second baseman in Washington.
