Nunez was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Rangers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Nunez went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the contest before being replaced at the plate by Robert Hassell in the bottom of the eighth inning. Nunez will return to Rochester after being called up April 12, posting a disappointing .186 average with two doubles, five RBI, six runs scored and seven stolen bases over 43 at-bats in 23 games with the Nationals. It's unclear who will be replacing Nunez on the major-league roster, but Washington will have an extra day to think about it with an off day Monday before heading to New York to face the Mets for a three-game set beginning Tuesday.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Shines in rare start
Rotowire
Nunez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Friday's win over the Orioles.
Starting at second base and batting ninth, Nunez made a diving catch on a Gunnar Henderson line drive for the first out in the bottom of the first inning, and he continued to make an impact the rest of the night, both on offense and on defense. The switch-hitting utility player had just one plate appearance in May coming into Friday, but with Amed Rosario (leg) banged up and Paul DeJong (face) still more than a month away from his expected return, Nunez could find his way into the lineup more often in the short term.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Getting third straight start
Rotowire
Nunez will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.
With Paul DeJong (nose) joining CJ Abrams (hip) on the injured list Tuesday, Nunez looks as though he could have a clear path to regular playing time in the short term. He had already started at shortstop in the Nationals' previous two games, going 4-for-7 with a double, a stolen base, two runs and two RBI.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Recalled by Washington
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Nunez from Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
Nunez wasn't able to make the Nationals' Opening Day roster despite a strong showing in spring training, but he'll be called up to the big club following the placement of CJ Abrams (hip) on the 10-day injured list. Nunez was slashing .192/.323/.192 with five stolen bases and three RBI across 31 plate appearances in Triple-A before his promotion to the majors.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Misses Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Nunez to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.
Nunez turned heads in Nationals camp with a .419/.486/.484 slash line through 35 plate appearances and seemed to be making a real push for the Opening Day roster. He'll instead begin the season in Triple-A, which will allow the 24-year-old infielder to continue developing while playing every day -- something he wouldn't have been able to do in Washington.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Forcing tough decision on Nats
Rotowire
Nunez may be playing his way onto the Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
This was not part of the plan for the 24-year-old Nunez, a Rule 5 pick in 2024 who essentially lost a year of development while spending the whole season on the Washington bench and seeing just 78 plate appearances over 51 games. He's been one of the standouts in camp for the Nats, batting .419 (13-for-31) with a 3:4 BB:K and seven steals in nine attempts while playing excellent defense, and he is making a strong case for a utility spot on the 26-man roster. CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia are locked in at shortstop and second base however, so the most likely scenario is for Nunez to begin the year in a starting middle-infield role with Triple-A Rochester -- a level he has yet to play at after being plucked from Double-A in the Marlins' organization last year.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Filling in for Abrams again
Rotowire
Nunez will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
He'll pick up a fourth consecutive start in place of CJ Abrams, who remains day-to-day with a sore shoulder. Nunez has gone 0-for-8 with a walk and a stolen base over his prior three starts and will likely head back to a reserve role once Abrams is cleared to rejoin the lineup.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Battling cramps
Rotowire
Nunez exited Friday's game against the Angels due to cramps, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Nunez was able to limp off the field after laying down a sacrifice bunt in the 10th inning, and the Nationals don't seem to be very concerned about his availability. The 23-year-old went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while filling in for CJ Abrams, who was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Wins Opening Day roster spot
Rotowire
Nunez is expected to begin the season on the 26-man roster after Trey Lipscomb was reassigned to minor-league camp Tuesday.
A Rule 5 pick from the Marlins, Nunez was a favorite to win a bench role when camp began, but Lipscomb's big spring created some uncertainty on how the Nationals would configure their infield. The 23-year-old Nunez stole 52 bases in 59 attempts at Double-A last season but slashed only .224/.341/.286, so he'll likely be limited to pinch-running duties in 2024 if he's able to stick on the big-league roster all year rather than being offered back to Miami.
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Marlins' Nasim Nunez: Best offensive production to date
Rotowire
Nunez his hitting .282 with a .412 OBP, three home runs and 16 steals in 33 games for Double-A Pensacola.
Known for his plus defense at shortstop and plus-plus speed on the bases, Nunez has been a below league average hitter at every stop except one prior to this season. His 131 wRC+ in 154 plate appearances is easily a career best, and his .097 ISO, .412 OBP and 17.5 percent strikeout rate also represent the best marks of his four-season career. If he can get on base enough to make up for his lack of power, Nunez's defense could earn him everyday playing time, in which case he could steal enough bases to be fantasy relevant.
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Marlins' Nasim Nunez: Leading minors in steals
Rotowire
Nunez has 11 stolen bases on 13 attempts through 10 games for Low-A Jupiter to lead all of minor-league baseball, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.
The 20-year-old swiped 28 bags in 30 attempts over 51 games in rookie ball in 2019, so his early display of speed this season is no surprise. Nunez was a second-round pick in 2019, but he hasn't yet shown a lot with his bat, slashing .171/.383/.171 this year with an 11:10 BB:K. His defense at shortstop is plus, so he could reach the majors as a bench option even if he never becomes an asset as a hitter, but he'll need to show something at the plate to be worth stashing even in deep dynasty formats.
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Marlins' Nasim Nunez: Gets big-league camp invite
Rotowire
The Marlins announced Monday that Nunez will report to big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The 2019 second-round pick will get a chance to test himself against higher-level competition early in camp, but he'll presumably be reassigned to minor-league spring training after the first one or two waves of roster cuts. The 20-year-old shortstop split time between the rookie-level Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues during his first professional season in 2019, slashing .200/.327/.238 over 185 at-bats.
