NEW YORK - The Nationals’ offense has had to keep moving without James Wood, and a new left-right combo has given the lineup a jolt.
With Wood on the shelf and Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead traded away, Washington has leaned on the platoon of Andrés Chaparro and Abimelec Ortiz. On Sunday, Ortiz handled first base while Chaparro filled the designated hitter spot in a 4-3 loss to the Mets.
“We’re going to do everything we can with the guys that are here and that can play,” manager Blake Butera said before the game. “So right now, our focus is on the 13 position players that are available and on the lineup card.”
Ortiz supplied the biggest swing of the day, homering for the fifth time in his rookie season. That total ties Joey Meneses for the most home runs by a Nationals player in his first 14 Major League games since 2005. Across the Majors this year, only Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter has matched that pace with five homers in his first 14 career games.
“He’s doing a really good job of controlling the zone and hunting the pitches that he’s looking for,” Butera said. “When he gets them, he’s doing damage on them.”
The Nationals acquired Ortiz from the Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore deal, and the adjustment took some time. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the club’s No. 19 prospect, and Butera said the pressure showed up in Spring Training before Ortiz settled in with a half-season at Triple-A Rochester. He debuted on July 12, then got another call on Aug. 3 and homered that night in Philadelphia.
“You kind of put a little bit of pressure, you have it in your head,” Ortiz said through translator Mauricio Ortiz. “But as the season goes on, you become more confident.”
He’s been locked in lately, too. Ortiz has reached safely in seven of his last eight games dating back to Aug. 8, with four homers and eight RBIs over that stretch.
“It's been awesome,” said Jake Irvin, Sunday’s starter. “It's been fun to watch him.
He comes to the field every day with real positive energy, so it's been really cool. Every time he goes up there, you kind of feel like you’ve got a chance for something to happen.”
Chaparro has been giving Washington similar punch. In the second half, including Sunday, he’s hitting .281/.379/.684, and his 1.063 OPS ranks second in the Majors among players with at least 50 plate appearances after the break.
His path has been a steady climb. Chaparro played 33 games after arriving from the D-backs in 2024, then appeared in 34 Major League games last year. This season, he’s already been in 54 games for the Nationals.
“I think confidence is the big thing, knowing that he can do it here,” Butera said. “It’s not easy coming to the big leagues and not playing every day. … I think Chappy's done a nice job of sticking with it.”
Butera said Chaparro was open during a recent individual meeting about the platoon arrangement and his role. The conversation centered on using him against lefties and finding ways for him to get into the lineup against righties as well.
“I think it was really helpful, because we talked about his role, how he was here to hit lefties and how to get in the lineup against righties, too,” Butera said. “He was very, very good at self-evaluating. He was like, ‘Look, until I hit lefties really well, I don't deserve to be in the lineup against righties.’
“And then he starts mashing lefties, he goes off after the All-Star break, and he's in there against some righties now. He's earned that opportunity himself.”
Wood, meanwhile, remains sidelined after going on the 10-day IL on Aug. 4 with a left oblique strain. He had 30 home runs at the time. Washington had hoped for a quick return, but the tightness and discomfort have lingered, and Butera said Wood was still throwing as of Sunday.
“It’s been pretty slow recently,” Butera said. “It just hasn’t subsided the way we’d like it to. So, not a whole lot going on in the moment.”
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