Thomas was removed from Tuesday's game against the Dodgers with an apparent leg injury, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Thomas appeared to tweak his left leg while stealing a base in the fifth inning, though he remained in the game briefly before being replaced on defense ahead of the seventh. The Nationals will take a closer look at him in the clubhouse and should offer more information on his status in the near future.
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Nationals' Victor Robles: Baseball activities on tap
Rotowire
Robles (hamstring) will travel with the Nationals on their next road trip and will resume baseball activities, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Robles is nearly three weeks removed from suffering a left hamstring strain and has finally made enough progress to reincorporate baseball activities. He will presumably need some rehab games before being activated, so a return could still be more than a week away.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Throws from 75 feet
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Gray (elbow) played catch from 75 feet Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
The right-hander is in the process of ramping up his throwing program after a brief shutdown period due to a flexor strain. Gray should soon progress to long toss before returning to mound work. He likely won't be able to rejoin Washington's rotation until at least mid-May.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Up to 96 mph in bullpen session
Rotowire
Cavalli (elbow) touched 96 mph during a 60-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Cavalli is working his way back from last March's Tommy John surgery. He should be cleared to face hitters next, with a rehab assignment soon to follow. Cavalli could eventually be an option for the Nationals' rotation, but he's on the 60-day injured list and will need plenty of time in the minors first.
Ruiz (illness) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Ruiz will be with Harrisburg for a could days before being activated from the injured list, likely on Friday when the Nationals begin a road trip. He hasn't played in two weeks due to a stomach bug which caused him to lose nearly 20 pounds. Riley Adams has been filling in as the Nats' primary catcher.
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Nationals' Jacob Barnes: Added to big-league bullpen
Rotowire
The Nationals Andrew Golden of The Washington Post Barnes' contract from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
Barnes nearly won a spot with a strong spring and had tossed eight scoreless innings with a 10:2 K:BB at Rochester to earn a promotion. The 34-year-old veteran will operate in middle relief.
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Nationals' Robert Garcia: Goes on IL with illness
Rotowire
The Nationals placed Garcia on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 21, with the flu, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
There's been a bug going around the Nationals' clubhouse and Garcia got it bad enough to force an IL stint. He'll be eligible to return May 7 and seems likely to be back at that time.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Designated for assignment
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The Nationals designated Alu for assignment Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Alu at one point looked like a good bet to carve out a super utility role with the big club, but he posted just a .571 OPS in the majors last season and had an even-worse .537 OPS this year at Triple-A Rochester. The 27-year-old could still draw some interest via trade or waivers from a club looking to add versatility.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Resumes playing catch
Rotowire
Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Friday that Gray resumed playing catch from 60 feet last week, MLB.com reports.
Though the fact that Gray is no longer shut down from throwing is an encouraging sign after he landed on the 15-day injured list April 9 with a right elbow flexor strain, the 26-year-old still has several more checkpoints to hit in his rehab program before he'll be ready to rejoin the Washington rotation. He's without a clear timeline for a return from the IL, but Gray appears safe to rule out from being activated before the end of April.
Thomas went 0-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Astros.
The 28-year-old outfielder has stolen bags in back-to-back games and has gone 4-for-4 on steal attempts over the last seven contests, but that's been his only consistent source of fantasy value. Thomas is slashing a rough .179/.247/.250 through 93 plate appearances with two homers, 10 steals, six runs and 10 RBI as he struggles to reproduce his breakout 2023 campaign.
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Nationals' CJ Abrams: Swipes fourth bag
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Abrams went 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Astros.
The shortstop extended his hitting streak to eight games with the performance, but the steal was his first since March 30, snapping a 16-game drought on the basepaths. Abrams has hardly been a disappointment so far in 2024, slashing .297/.358/.676 with six homers, four steals, 12 RBI and 15 runs in 18 contests, but after he pilfered 47 bags last year in his first full big-league season, fantasy GMs who invested in him are likely expecting the 23-year-old to be a bit busier as a baserunner.
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Nationals' Tanner Rainey: Struggling to regain form
Rotowire
Rainey has averaged 93.6 mph with his fastball so far in 2024, down significantly from the 97.0 mph he averaged over 30 innings in 2022 prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery that August.
In his most recent appearance Saturday, Rainey gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning but topped out at 95.1 mph, and he missed out on a decision as the Nationals went on to win in the 10th. The 31-year-old right-hander has been superficially effective since getting tagged for three runs in his first two outings of the year, and he's allowed just one run in his last six innings. His 1.50 ERA over that stretch comes with a 1.83 WHIP and 5:4 K:BB, however. Rainey has yet to record a win, hold or save in 2024, and he might need to regain his lost velocity if he's going to work his way back into a consistent high-leverage role.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Likely headed for rehab stint
Rotowire
Ruiz (illness) indicated Sunday that he is almost fully recovered from the bout of the flu that landed him on the 10-day injured list, but he's expected to go on a short rehab stint before being activated, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
The 25-year-old catcher has lost nearly 20 pounds while battling the bug, but he's begun taking part in some baseball activities and lifting weights again. He also tried to spin the weight loss as a positive. "But I feel good. I feel lighter," Ruiz said. "So I've got to take the positives. I feel like I can run better, move better. And I gain weight fast, too. I'm going to eat a couple burgers." Ruiz will likely be assigned to Double-A Harrisburg to get back into game shape, and while he's eligible to come off the IL as soon as Tuesday, a return this weekend for a series in Miami seems more plausible.
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Nationals' Luis Garcia: Produces in clean-up role
Rotowire
Garcia went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base during Sunday's 6-0 win over the Astros.
Garcia's first inning single off Houston starter Hunter Brown provided the second and third runs for the Nationals. He later added his fifth steal while the three hits raised his average to .317. Perhaps more importantly, it was also the second-consecutive game Garcia was placed in the lineup as the clean-up hitter. Garcia already has seven doubles through 63 at-bats this season after posting 18 over 447 at-bats last year. With the added extra-base pop and a spot in the heart of the order, the 23-year-old Garcia could be in line for a breakout 2024.
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Nationals' Nick Senzel: Blasts first homer
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Senzel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Sunday's 6-0 win over the Astros.
Senzel's first homer as a National came in the sixth inning off Astros' reliever Tayler Scott. The third baseman had struck out in his first two at-bats Sunday and had accumulated just three singles in 17 at-bats following his return from a fractured thumb prior to depositing the 2-2 pitch over the left-center field wall. Senzel is coming off a season in which he hit .236 with a career-high 13 home runs in 301 at-bats for Cincinnati.
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Nationals' Mitchell Parker: Dominates Astros for second win
Rotowire
Parker (2-0) earned the win Sunday, allowing no runs on three hits over seven innings against the Astros. He struck out eight.
Parker needed only 73 pitches to shut down the Astros through seven, scattering three singles and only allowing one baserunner to reach second base. Parker has allowed just two runs on seven hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts over 12 innings in his first two career starts against the Dodgers and Astros, winning both decisions. It's tough to envision the Nationals removing Parker from the rotation following two-consecutive impressive performances, especially with Josiah Gray (elbow) currently on the shelf. His next start is tentatively scheduled for next weekend when the Nationals travel to Miami to take on the struggling Marlins.
Thomas went 0-for-5 with a stolen base in Saturday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.
While Thomas' struggles at the plate continued, he did find ways to contribute. In addition to stealing his ninth base of the season -- tied for second in the majors with Ronald Acuna and Brice Turang, one back of Elly De La Cruz -- the 28-year-old made the defensive play of the game, making a running catch in foul territory in the top of the 10th and then throwing out Jose Altuve at the plate as he attempted to tag up and score. Thomas is slashing .183/.236/.256 on the season with two homers, five runs and 10 RBI.
