The Washington Nationals are making a notable infield change right as they get set to face the Mets: C.J. Abrams is moving off shortstop.
Manager Blake Butera told reporters Friday, Aug. 14 that Abrams and second baseman Nasim Nuñez will swap positions for the rest of the 2026 season. Butera said the club wanted to give Abrams more time at shortstop, but that shifting him to second and Nuñez to shortstop gives the Nationals a better chance to win.
It’s a striking move for Abrams, 25, who was the starting shortstop for the National League at the MLB All-Star Game less than a month ago. He’s been one of the league’s most dangerous hitters in a surprising season in Washington, entering Aug. 13 with a .284/.357/.541 line, 29 home runs and a major league-high 91 RBIs.
Abrams made his second All-Star team in the last three seasons, but the selection had nothing to do with his defense. The numbers have been rough at shortstop: Statcast’s Outs Above Average has him at minus-17, worst among all shortstops in baseball, while Defensive Runs Saved has him at minus-5, better than only five other shortstops this season.
Nuñez, also 25, brings a very different profile. His bat has lagged behind league average across the board, but he’s added value with speed and defense. He leads the majors with 40 stolen bases, and his work at second base has been far stronger than most regulars there, with plus-9 OAA and plus-13 DRS.
The Nationals, now 60-63, open a three-game NL East series against the Mets, who are 53-69, later Friday.
The swap says plenty about what Washington thinks of Nuñez as well as Abrams. Shortstop asks for a lot - and not just range and hands. Most hitters are right-handed, and the position has to deal with the game’s most common pull side, the left side of the infield.
Nuñez, a former second-round pick by the Miami Marlins who reached Washington in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, is hitting .230/.315/.267 with just eight extra-base hits in 400 plate appearances. Still, if he can handle shortstop, he could put himself in position to become a more permanent answer there as the Nationals work their way out of a decade-long rebuild.
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