Washington Nationals Top Prospect James Wood Leaves Triple-A Game With Injury

James Wood, the No. 1 prospect in the Washington Nationals' farm system and one of the most hyped players in the minors, is reportedly dealing with lower body soreness.

Rochester’s James Wood gets out of the box after an infield single. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and

Outfielder James Wood, the Washington Nationals' No. 1 prospect, left Triple-A Rochester's game Thursday with lower body soreness.

The Washington Post's Andrew Golden was first to report the injury.

Wood was 0-for-1 with a walk and a groundout when he left the game. Alex Call replaced Wood in center field in the bottom of the fifth inning.

It remains to be seen if this injury will cost Wood any additional time. While he dealt with a wrist injury in March, he only missed one exhibition game because of it.

The 21-year-old spent Spring Training with the Nationals, but has been with the Red Wings since the start of the regular season. He is now batting .355 with nine home runs, 31 RBI, 10 stolen bases and a 1.062 OPS, having reached base safely in 24 consecutive Triple-A contests.

In 129 games between High-A and Double-A last year, Wood hit .262 with 26 home runs, 91 RBI, 18 stolen bases and an .874 OPS.

Wood was one of the several pieces the Nationals got back from the San Diego Padres when they shipped out All-Star outfielder Juan Soto at the 2022 trade deadline. At the time, he was the No. 88 prospect in baseball, while shortstop CJ Abrams ranked No. 9 and outfielder Robert Hassell III was No. 21.

Abrams has since reached the big leagues and found plenty of success as Washington's everyday shortstop. Hassell, on the other hand, has dropped out of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 and has most recently been pegged as the No. 8 prospect in the Nationals' farm system.

Not only is Wood viewed as Washington's top prospect – even above last year's No. 2 overall pick, Dylan Crews – but he is also ranked as the No. 5 prospect across the entire league.

It's only a matter of time before Wood gets the call to the big leagues. This latest injury may delay that slightly, depending on the diagnosis, but his MLB debut likely won't be too far in the future.

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