Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams' offseason work included speed work and swing and pitch recognition. He also gained six to seven pounds and now weighs 190 pounds heading into the 2023 season. Abrams said the added weight will help him with power while playing through his first full big-league season. The 22-year-old was acquired by the Nationals from the San Diego Padres in the blockbuster trade involving Juan Soto last August. The former top prospect hit .258 with no home runs, 10 RBI and six stolen bases in 44 games in D.C. after the trade. Abrams is still young and maturing, so fantasy managers would be wise not to expect much from his bat just yet, but the speed should be useful as a middle infielder. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 29 fantasy shortstop.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) exited Tuesday's 8-0 loss to the Mets in Game 2 of a doubleheader early with pain in his left (non-throwing) shoulder after diving for a ground ball. He received an MRI after exiting, per The Washington Post's Jesse Dougherty. The 22-year-old rookie went 0-for-1 with a strikeout. Abrams came into the season as a higher-end fantasy prospect. He hasn't been great but has shown some promising signs with the Padres and Nationals, slashing .246/.280/.324 with two home runs, 21 RBI and seven stolen bases in 302 plate appearances. Speed is his calling card, so Abrams will need to work on his 1.7% walk rate and .280 on-base percentage in 2023 to be considered a viable fantasy option.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams had a strong game Wednesday, going 3-for-5 at the plate with three singles, including a walk-off in the bottom of the 10th to give the team a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Abrams also scored a run. With just a .603 OPS through his first 281 plate appearances, Abrams is very difficult to roster in redraft leagues, but he is a must in dynasty and keeper formats. He will be given every opportunity to prove he can be an all-category producer heading into 2023, as the rebuilding Washington Nationals can afford to have patience.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams is starting at the 6 and is batting second in the lineup on Monday against the Atlanta Braves and right-hander Bryce Elder. It's the first time that Abrams has hit any higher than sixth in the team's batting order in his 36th game for the club since being acquired from the San Diego Padres in the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to the Friars in early August. He's on a recent hot streak at the plate, though, and he's now hitting .248/.271/.328 with no homers, nine RBI, 14 runs scored and four stolen bases in 129 plate appearances for Washington. The 21-year-old shortstop will have more fantasy appeal, especially in DFS lineups, this high up in the batting order.

Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams was called up from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, and he'll make his debut with the team against Chicago Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman. Abrams will start at shortstop and hit seventh in the batting order. The young shortstop was sent to D.C. by the San Diego Padres at the Aug. 2 trade deadline in the blockbuster deal that involved outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell. The 21-year-old rookie hit just .232/.285/.320 with two homers, 11 RBI, 16 runs scored and one stolen base in his first 46 major league games with the Padres earlier this year, but his power/speed upside makes him worth rostering in nearly all fantasy formats. Expect him to see regular playing time at shortstop in Washington going forward.

The Washington Nationals are expected to call up top prospect shortstop C.J. Abrams from Triple-A Rochester on Monday. He was dealt to the Nationals from the Padres as part of the blockbuster deal involving star outfielder Juan Soto. The 21-year-old slashed .232/.285/.320 with two homers, 16 runs, 11 RBI, and a stolen base with the San Diego in 21 games. Luis Garcia (groin) is expected to be placed on the injured list Monday. Abrams will fill in at second base while Garcia is sidelined. Fantasy managers should look to add Abrams in all league formats as the upside is there for the former first-round pick.

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garca "has been getting work in at second base in anticipation of C.J. Abrams' arrival," manager Davey Martinez told Bobby Blanco of MASN. Presumably, the newly-acquired Abrams will play shortstop once he returns to the majors. Garca, 22, is slashing .297/.303/.434 with just two walks and 46 strikeouts through 55 games this season. Although he has a poor walk rate and should be left on waivers in most leagues, Garca has put plenty of baseballs in play. Meanwhile, Abrams was acquired from the Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The 21-year-old hasn't looked great in the majors this season, but he sports an impressive .314/.364/.507 slash line at the Triple-A level and boasts plenty of upside. He should be rostered in all dynasty leagues especially now that he's no longer blocked by an elite talent like Fernando Tatis Jr.

San Diego Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams (biceps) will miss his fourth consecutive game on Tuesday when the team takes on right-hander Garrett Hill and the Detroit Tigers. Ha-Seong Kim will be covering shortstop for the team once again. Abrams has been battling biceps soreness since Saturday. He'll have one more chance to play in the team's series against the Tigers on Wednesday, then the Padres get an off day on Thursday. Over 43 games on the season, the 21-year-old rookie has slashed .231/.280/.322 with two home runs, one stolen base, 11 RBI and 15 runs.

San Diego Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams (biceps) was held out of action once again on Monday with biceps soreness. He has now missed three consecutive games due to the ailment. Ha-Seong Kim has handled shortstop duties during each of the team's last three games with Abrams out. Abrams has been quietly making some progress at the plate this month. Over 12 games in July, he's batted .300. However, he has just two extra-base hits (a homer and a double) and zero walks this month and he still has just one stolen base over three attempts on the year. The 21-year-old rookie has immense upside and dynasty managers should be very excited for the future with Abrams. But in season-long leagues, he is someone who can be left on waivers in most formats.

Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Sunday that San Diego Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams was pulled from the lineup for Triple-A El Paso and could be headed to the big-league squad. Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) suffered a left ankle sprain on Sunday and could be sidelined for the immediate future. If Machado is sidelined, Abrams is likely to slot right into the Padres lineup. More should be known on the extent of Machado's status on Monday, but his status will be relevant to how much playing time Abrams would receive in the majors. Abrams is one of the top prospects in the game and broke camp with the Padres, but struggled with a .182 batting average, one home run, four RBI and a stolen base in 55 at-bats. Despite his struggles at the big-league level, Abrams has put up strong numbers in Triple-A with seven home runs, 28 RBI and 10 stolen bases to go along with a healthy .314 batting average. Abrams' contributions will hinge on Machado's status, but managers should take a flier on Abrams and see how his situation plays from there.

San Diego Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams hit two home runs in his first game with Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday. Abrams had never played above Double-A before making the Opening Day big-league roster this year with Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) hurt. The 21-year-old certainly looked overmatched at the plate in his first 20 major league games while sharing time at the 6 with Ha-Seong Kim, going 10-for-55 with one home run, four RBI, one stolen base and 14 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances. Abrams will be back with the Padres eventually, but it remains to be seen how much of a fantasy impact he'll make in 2022, especially if Tatis is back as the Padres everyday shortstop by then.

The San Diego Padres optioned shortstop prospect C.J. Abrams to Triple-A El Paso and designated outfielder Trayce Thompson for assignment on Tuesday to make room for the returns of outfielder Wil Myers (thumb) and first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit (biceps) from the injured list. It will be Abrams' first stint at Triple-A. The 21-year-old looked overmatched in his first 65 major league plate appearances, going 10-for-55 with one home run, four RBI, one stolen base and 14 strikeouts in 20 games to begin the season. The Padres want him to see regular at-bats in the minors in order to continue his development. Abrams will eventually be back, but for now, Ha-Seong Kim will continue to work as the primary shortstop until Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) can return.

San Diego Padres infielder C.J. Abrams isn't starting on Tuesday for a matchup with the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Zach Plesac. Abrams is batting .182 with a .275 on-base percentage, a home run, and a stolen base in 53 plate appearances this season. Trayce Thompson will enter the lineup in place of Abrams, with Jake Cronenworth moving to second base, Eric Hosmer shifting from designated hitter to first base, and outfielder Matt Beaty starting at designated hitter. Thompson has collected a hit and a walk in six plate appearances so far for San Diego. Fantasy managers looking for streaming help are probably better off looking elsewhere.

San Diego Padres first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Voit is 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in his last two games and will take the day off. Manny Machado will serve as the DH in this one, with Ha-Seong Kim moving to third base and shortstop prospect C.J. Abrams getting the start at the 6 while batting eighth against Reds right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez. Voit is off to a slow start in his first year with the Friars, going 6-for-39 with no homers, five RBI and 10 strikeouts in 12 games. Abrams, a 21-year-old with elite speed, has a home run and a stolen base in his first 26 major league at-bats, but his DFS upside is limited while hitting at the bottom of the order.

San Diego Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams is back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb and the San Francisco Giants. He'll be slotting in at No. 9 in the batting order. The left-handed Abrams was held out of the starting lineup in each of the team's last two games as the Padres faced a pair of southpaws. Ha-Seong Kim got the start at shortstop in those two contests. It seems as if the two players are in a rather predictable platoon right now with Abrams in the lineup against righties and Kim getting the start against lefties. The 21-year-old Abrams has started three games so far and he's gone just 1-for-9 at the plate. He was caught stealing in his only stolen base attempt so far.

The San Diego Padres are starting CJ Abrams at shortstop and batting him eighth for Friday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Abrams is making his MLB debut after making the team's Opening Day roster but not getting into the game on Thursday. The 21-year-old is regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball and is worth a look in mixed fantasy leagues if he is available. Abrams could struggle a bit at the plate as he acclimates to MLB pitching but he can be useful as a base stealer in the big leagues and should be able to contribute in that aspect in all fantasy formats.

San Diego Padres shortstop prospect CJ Abrams made the Opening Day roster, but he's not in the starting lineup for the season opener on Thursday night against Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Ha-Seong Kim is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in the order. Abrams is likely on the bench because the team is facing a southpaw out of the gates. The 21-year-old is expected to fill a super-utility role in San Diego to begin the year with Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) out multiple months. Abrams has the ability to play shortstop, second base and the outfield, so he could be playing at least semi-regularly and will offer elite speed for fantasy managers.

The San Diego Padres officially announced that shortstop prospect CJ Abrams has made the Opening Day roster, selecting his contract from Triple-A El Paso on Thursday. Abrams begins on the 28-man roster with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) on the 60-day injured list. Abrams impressed in spring training, hitting .324/.359/.514 over 37 at-bats in the Cactus League. It remains to be seen if the Friars top prospect will be in the Opening Day starting lineup on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the high-upside prospect should at least see semi-regular playing time in San Diego until Tatis is ready to make his season debut. Abrams has the ability to play shortstop, second base and in the outfield, so the Padres will find a spot for him if he's hitting.

San Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder CJ Abrams is expected to be part of the team's Opening Day roster, according to Jon Heyman. This is exciting news for Padres fans and fantasy managers alike. The 21-year-old is currently ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect on MLB.com. He's extremely versatile with 80-grade speed and a 60-grade hit tool. He also showed some power this spring as he hit a pair of home runs. The Padres won't be wasting their top prospect in a reserve/utility role, so expect to see him in the starting lineup early and often. He should get some starts at both shortstop and in the outfield. Stolen bases will be his best attribute, but he could also provide a strong batting average as he hit .343 during his time in the minors.

San Diego Padres shortstop CJ Abrams has a solid chance to be part of the team's Opening Day roster. And it seems as if Abrams is eager to do anything it will take to help his case. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old prospect spoke to the press and said, "Any position to help me get on the team, I'm willing to do it. Right field, center field, shortstop, second base, anything." Abrams has primarily played shortstop and second base in the majors and the team certainly needs help at shortstop to open the year with Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) out. However, the team seems very interested in utilizing Abrams in the outfield. His versatility could be a difference-maker in deciding whether he'll be on the Opening Day roster. Over 16 games this spring, Abrams has slashed .324/.361/.529 with two home runs and three stolen bases.