Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (shoulder), the team's No. 4 prospect, will be part of the starting rotation next year, according to manager Dave Martinez. The 24-year-old went 6-4 with a 3.71 ERA at Triple-A Rochester in 2022 and made his major-league debut in August before ending the year with shoulder inflammation after his first start for the Nats. The former first-rounder in 2020 led the minors in strikeouts in 2021. Cavalli allowed seven hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Reds in his big-league debut, but he has premium stuff with a high-90s fastball and a power curveball. His ability to miss bats is something that the Nats' rotation desperately needs.

Washington Nationals outfield prospect Robert Hassell III (hand) will miss the rest of the Arizona Fall League after suffering a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Hassell is the team's top-ranked prospect and was acquired as part of the package that sent superstar outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres on Aug. 2. The 21-year-old outfielder left the game on Oct. 5 and hadn't played since, going 1-for-6 in limited action in the AFL. He had surgery on his hand, is doing well and is expected to be 100 percent healthy in time for spring training in 2023. The No. 22 overall prospect in baseball didn't hit as well due to a recurring hand injury after he was acquired by the Nats, but he was still called up to Double-A. In 37 games, he hit just .219/.311/.281 and struck out 47 times in 167 plate appearances.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) will miss the season finale on Wednesday against the New York Mets and is scheduled for surgery on his left eye at the end of October. Cruz has been dealing with inflammation in the inner corner of his eye, and the procedure will remove extra skin blocking his vision. He expects to resume baseball activities in six to eight weeks. "Vision is everything for hitters. But the good thing is, it can be fixed," Cruz said. The 42-year-old hasn't played since Sept. 13 and only hit .234 with 10 home runs in 2022, but he's adamant that he isn't done playing and wants to return in 2023, likely with a different organization.

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 outfielder Victor Robles (calf) exited Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Mets in Game 1 early with a right calf strain, per The Washington Post's Jesse Dougherty. Robles went 1-for-2 with a double and a strikeout before exiting. The 25-year-old was once a higher-end fantasy prospect but put together another disappointing season, slashing .224/.273/.311 with six home runs, 33 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 407 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should not count on Robles playing in Wednesday's regular season finale.

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo admitted that starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg's (ribs) status heading into the 2023 season is a "mystery." Strasburg dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome last summer and got a late start in 2022 as a result, but he ended up making just one start this year before being diagnosed with a stress reaction of his ribs. The oft-injured 34-year-old has made just eight starts in the last three years combined since winning a career-high 18 games for the Nats back in 2019. With his status up in the air for next season, he obviously won't be very attractive from a fantasy standpoint as managers look to fill their starting rotations next spring.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) remains out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of the doubleheader on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Noah Syndergaard. At this point, it seems likely that the 42-year-old veteran won't play again before the end of the regular season next week. He's missed the last 14 games with left eye inflammation in what could be the final season of a Hall of Fame career. If he doesn't play in another game before next Wednesday, he'll finish the 2022 season with a .234/.313/.337 slash line with 10 homers, 64 RBI, 50 runs and four steals in 448 at-bats. Luke Voit will continue to serve as the DH in Game 2 while hitting cleanup against Syndergaard.

Washington Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (back) will make one more start in 2022 on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Corbin left his last start early on Sept. 20 with back spasms and had his next start skipped, but he'll return this weekend to make his final start of an absolutely brutal season. The 33-year-old southpaw is 6-18 with a rough 6.08 ERA (4.85 FIP), a 1.66 WHIP and a 125:46 K:BB in 148 innings over 30 starts. He leads baseball in losses, hits allowed (200) and earned runs (100). Corbin has allowed one or no runs in three of his four September starts, though, but he also gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings in his last start against Philadelphia on Sept. 9. Nobody still playing for a fantasy championship should be looking to Corbin to help them.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (elbow) has officially been shut down for the rest of the regular season. The hope was that the left-hander would be able to make one start before the end of the year. He threw 72 pitches during a rehab start on Monday, but ultimately the team doesn't want to risk it. They'd rather have Gore rest and recover so he can be ready for the beginning of next season. Gore was acquired in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres. The expectation is that Gore will be a significant piece of the Nationals rotation going forward.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (shoulder) has resumed throwing and will play catch from 60 feet on Friday. The 24-year-old has been shut down for the season after only making one start for the Nationals. However, it sounds like the right-hander is making solid progress. He reportedly doesn't feel any pain in his shoulder, which is great news. It doesn't sound like he'll throw off a mound until later this offseason, but should be ready for the beginning of next season.

Washington Nationals rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore (elbow) is back at Nationals Park on Tuesday after his minor league rehab start for Triple-A Rochester on Monday night. Gore felt really good about his first three innings, but he fatigued in the fourth frame and allowed six runs on three homers in all. He is going to throw a long bullpen session this week, and it sounds like the plan is still for him to make one start for the Nationals before the end of the regular season. If the 23-year-old southpaw makes his debut with Washington, it will likely come this weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies, which would make him a pretty risky streaming option for fantasy managers still playing for a championship.

Washington Nationals rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore (elbow) was hit hard in his latest minor league rehab start for Triple-A Rochester on Monday night, allowing six earned runs on six hits (three home runs surrendered) while walking one and striking out three in only 3 2/3 innings pitched. While the results weren't encouraging, Gore was able to throw 72 pitches in what is expected to be his final minor league tune-up before making his debut for the Nationals to close out the season. The 23-year-old southpaw is lined up to make a start this weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he'll be a shaky fantasy streamer. In his first 16 big-league outings (13 starts) for the San Diego Padres before being traded at the deadline, Gore had a 4.50 ERA (4.12 FIP), a 1.47 WHIP and a 72:37 K:BB in 70 innings pitched.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Miami Marlins. Cruz is limping to the finish line in 2022 and hasn't played in the last eight games due to left eye inflammation. Fantasy managers should consider the aging slugger to be day-to-day. The 42-year-old Dominican DH is hitting just .234/.313/.337 with 10 home runs, 64 RBI, 50 runs scored and four stolen bases in his 448 at-bats in D.C. this year. Luke Voit is the DH again on Friday and is hitting cleanup against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett. Voit has actually been better against right-handed pitching this year, and he's hitting .169 (23-for-136) with only two of his 21 home runs against southpaws.

Washington Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (back) was pulled from his start early on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves due to back spasms. He will give it a few days before seeing how he feels and if he can make his next scheduled start. The 33-year-old southpaw only threw 12 pitches and recorded two outs before hitting the showers against Atlanta. With the Nationals well out of contention and with nothing left to play for in the final couple weeks of the season, they won't rush Corbin back to the mound. It's been an extremely disappointing season for Corbin, as he's gone 6-18 with a rough 6.08 ERA (4.85 FIP), a 1.66 WHIP and a 125:46 K:BB in 148 innings over his 30 starts. He leads the league in hits allowed (200) and earned runs (100).

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. Cruz is dealing with left eye inflammation and will miss his seventh straight game. The good news is the 42-year-old isn't expected to land on the injured list, so fantasy managers must continue to consider him day-to-day. Luke Voit is once again serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat cleanup against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder on Wednesday. In 39 games since being acquired from the San Diego Padres at the Aug. 2 trade deadline, Voit is hitting .264/.345/.439 with eight home runs, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored. He's been even better in September, going 22-for-70 (.314) with three homers, seven RBI and six runs scored in 18 games.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) was diagnosed with left eye inflammation by an eye specialist after he experienced blurry vision during the Sept. 13 game against the Baltimore Orioles. He was given eye drops. "He's better," manager Dave Martinez said about Cruz. "The drops are working. It's very slow, but he said he feels better today. He's actually going to go out and take some batting practice today and see how well he can see the ball. It's good news, so hopefully we can get him back here in a few days." The 42-year-old slugger was out again on Monday against the Atlanta Braves and isn't a lock to return to the lineup on Tuesday. Cruz has played in only eight games so far in September and has gone 7-for-28 (.250) with no homers, one RBI and four runs scored.

Washington Nationals rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session ahead of Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves before heading back to Triple-A Rochester for another minor league rehab start. "He's scheduled to go back and have another rehab start. So, we're going to try to push him for maybe 60-65 pitches and get him those four ups," skipper Dave Martinez said. Gore's next rehab start for Rochester will come on Friday after he tossed 36 pitches in his first rehab start last Sunday. Barring a setback, the Nationals expect the 23-year-old southpaw to make his Nationals debut before the end of the season. In his first 16 major-league outings (13 starts) for the Padres before being traded, Gore was 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA (4.11 FIP), a 1.47 WHIP, 72 K's and 37 walks in 70 innings.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) is not the lineup on Saturday vs. the Miami Marlins. The 42-year-old slugger has been having blurred vision in his left eye and will now miss his third straight game as a result. He has a chance to play in Sunday's series finale but fantasy managers should pay attention to his status leading up to that game. Cruz owns a .234/.313/.337 batting line to go along with 10 home runs, 64 RBI, and four stolen bases over 448 at-bats on the year. Luke Voit is taking his spot as DH on Saturday.

Washington Nationals rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore (elbow) allowed no runs on four hits while walking two and striking out two in 2 2/3 innings in his latest minor league rehab start for Triple-A Rochester on Friday night. Gore made his first rehab start last Sunday and is getting closer to making his debut for Washington after being acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego. The 23-year-old southpaw made his major-league debut with the Padres earlier this year and went 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA (4.11 FIP), a 1.47 WHIP, 72 K's and 37 walks in 70 innings over 16 outings (13 starts). Barring a setback on his rehab assignment, he should join the Nats' rotation to close out the year.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (shoulder) experienced pain in his shoulder while throwing on Wednesday and will be shut down for three to seven days. The top prospect has been sidelined since his debut start on August 26, and is unlikely to see the mound again in 2022. Although he got shelled in his only major league game, Cavalli had a good year in the minors, posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 104:39 K:BB ratio for Triple-A Rochester. Cavalli could be a deep sleeper next season and is likely to start in the Nationals rotation.

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles (neck) is back in center field and is hitting eighth on Friday against the Miami Marlins and left-hander Jesus Luzardo. It will be the first time that Robles has been in the starting lineup since Sept. 7 due to neck stiffness. Before the injury, he had gone 3-for-10 with a run scored and a stolen base in five games to begin the month of September. Overall, the 25-year-old Dominican outfielder is hitting a mere .224/.283/.304 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 40 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 349 plate appearances over 115 games. Robles is only attractive in deeper fantasy leagues because of his speed, and he's a low-upside DFS play.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (eye) has inflammation in his left eye and is out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles. His doctor gave him eye drops for treatment, and skipper Dave Martinez said Cruz is day-to-day. Fantasy managers need to remove him from their daily lineups. The 42-year-old left the game early on Tuesday due to blurred vision, but hopefully he'll be able to return to the lineup in short order. Washington has a day off on Thursday before starting a series against the Miami Marlins on Friday. With Cruz out Wednesday, Luke Voit is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup against Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells.

Washington Nationals rookie right-hander Cade Cavalli (shoulder) has been cleared to throw and played catch on Wednesday, according to manager Dave Martinez. The goal is to get Cavalli back on the mound before the offseason, but Martinez said that probably won't come in an actual game. The Nationals won't rush their No. 4 prospect back with nothing left to play for in 2022. The 24-year-old made his major-league debut on Aug. 26 against the Cincinnati Reds and allowed seven earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out six in 4 1/3 frames. He had a 3.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 104:39 K:BB in 97 innings (20 starts) for Triple-A Rochester before his call-up. As long as he's fully healthy, Cavalli should be given a chance to open the 2023 season in the starting rotation.

Washington Nationals rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore (elbow) made his first minor league rehab start for Triple-A Rochester on Sunday and tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out none and walking none. It was Gore's first game since late July while with the San Diego Padres. The 23-year-old southpaw made his first 16 big-league appearances (13 starts) for the Friars this year, posting a 4.50 ERA (4.12 FIP), a 1.47 WHIP, 72 strikeouts and 37 walks in 70 innings pitched. Now with a new organization, the post-hype prospect should have a chance to debut for the Nats sometime later this month to close out the 2022 regular season. But first he'll need to get his arm built up in the minor leagues.

Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Friday and could join Triple-A Rochester for a rehab start on Sunday. Gore was initially placed on the injured list on July 26 after experiencing left elbow inflammation, but he has begun a throwing program and is ready to progress into rehab starts provided everything feels right. The former top prospect has had an up-and-down 2022, but he has certainly shown signs that he could end up being the type of high-end talent that he was expected to be. Overall, Gore has a 4.50 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP while tallying 72 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched. He could be a worthy streamer down the stretch if his matchups are solid.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (groin) will be shut down for three weeks, which in all likelihood ends his season. Ruiz was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier in the day, and manager Dave Martinez has since said that Ruiz will meet the team in Philadelphia, but will be shut down. The move certainly isn't ideal for Ruiz's fantasy owners, as Riley Adams and Tres Barrera, who will split time at the position in Ruiz's absence, aren't exactly sought-after assets.

The Washington Nationals placed catcher Keibert Ruiz (groin) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a testicular contusion. In corresponding moves, the team designated pitcher Jake McGee for assignment, purchases the contract of Israel Pineda from Triple-A and recalled Jordan Weems from Triple-A. Ruiz took a foul ball off his groin on Thursday and was sent to the hospital with swollen testicles. We wish him the best, but there's a chance he won't return to the last-place Nats before the end of the 2022 regular season. With the 24-year-old sidelined, Riley Adams and Tres Barrera will split the catching duties behind the plate in D.C. In his second season with the Nats, Ruiz has hit .251/.313/.360 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, 33 runs scored and six stolen bases in 112 games.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (groin) was sent to the hospital on Thursday after leaving the game early against the St. Louis Cardinals with swollen testicles after getting hit with a foul ball. Ruiz initially remained in the game and went 1-for-3 at the plate, but he eventually departed the contest in the sixth inning. The Nationals are waiting for the 24-year-old before leaving town, but it remains to be seen if he'll have to miss any additional time heading into a weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies. If Ruiz misses extended time, Riley Adams and Tres Barrera would split time behind the plate for the Nats. Ruiz came into the day hitting .251/.312/.361 with seven long balls, 36 RBI, 33 runs scored and six stolen bases in 391 at-bats in his second year in D.C.

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles (neck) was scratched from the team's starting lineup on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals due to neck stiffness. With Robles out, Alex Call got the start in left field and was hitting ninth, while Lane Thomas moved to center field and hit leadoff against Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright. Fantasy managers should consider Robles to be day-to-day until we know more about his status moving forward. The 25-year-old Dominican has mostly been useful for his speed in deeper fantasy leagues. In 312 at-bats for the Nats this year, he's hitting just .224/.283/.304 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 40 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (knee) is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the New York Mets. Cruz was removed from Friday's game after he fouled a ball off his left knee, and isn't feeling well enough to get back in the lineup tonight. He could need a few days to fully recover, but he is expected to avoid the injured list. Cruz appears to have finally slowed down in his age 42 season, as he is slashing just .235/.315/.343 with 10 homers, although he has managed four steals, which is his most since his age 32 season. He doesn't hold much value outside of very deep leagues anymore, and can be dropped elsewhere.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said on Thursday that starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (ribs) "feels a little bit better," but he isn't going to throw anytime soon. The Nationals aren't ruling out a return for Strasburg this year, but it seems unlikely. "If you do the math for him to come back, he's gonna need a while," Martinez said. Strasburg went on the injured list back on June 13 and only made one start before going back on the shelf, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings against the Miami Marlins on June 9. The 34-year-old two-time All-Star will look to strengthen his shoulder for the 2023 season, but at this point in his career, it's hard to like the oft-injured right-hander.

The Washington Nationals are placing rookie right-hander Cade Cavalli (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to right shoulder inflammation. Cavalli will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks after feeling pain in his shoulder while playing catch following his major league debut last weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. The 24-year-old, who is the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is unlikely to make another start in 2022. In his first MLB start, he was roughed up and allowed seven earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out six in 4 1/3 frames. With Cavalli out, Cory Abbott is a candidate to be recalled from Triple-A Rochester to join the Nats' starting rotation.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia (groin) is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester in Indianapolis, per beat writer Mark Zuckerman. Garcia told reporters that his groin, which has kept him out since August 13, is no longer bothering him. The 22-year-old rookie has been a solid contributor for the Nationals this season, posting a .289/.301/.417 triple-slash line to go along with four home runs, 25 RBI, and one stolen base over 228 at-bats. If all goes well in the minors, he could be back with the Nationals later this week.