Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was a late scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with left side tightness.
Nasim Nuñez is sliding over to shortstop with Jorbit Vivas taking over at second base. It’s only Abrams’ third missed game of the season.
Abrams, a one-time All-Star, has been relatively healthy this season, posting at shortstop for 77 games while being a fixture in Washington’s formidable lineup.
The 25-year-old is batting .286 with a .896 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and is on pace for 35 homers, which would be a career high. His superb play at the plate is why he’s in contention for a second All-Star appearance for the National League.
Abrams’ production atop Washington’s batting order along with outfielder James Wood has helped propel the Nationals into becoming one of the best offenses in Major League Baseball.
The team leads the league in runs scored (420) and is tied for fourth in OPS (.744).
That, in turn, has helped the Nationals go from a preseason afterthought to one of the most surprising playoff contenders in baseball.
Washington entered the second game of a crucial four-game set against the Phillies in a three-way tie for the final wild-card spot in the National League. They’re 1.5 games back of their NL East rivals the Phillies for the second spot.






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