Struggling Stars Must Step Up for Nationals Following Injury To Shortstop

The Washington Nationals are going to need some struggling stars to turn it around with a key player out.

Apr 7, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews (3) scores a run avoiding the tag of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) during the second inning at Nationals Park | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As the Washington Nationals try to continue to build some momentum after a slow start, they recently had a key player hit the injured list.

After starting the season 1-6, the Nationals rallied back to sit two games under .500 entering play Sunday while beating some talented teams.

Washington might not be a playoff contender this year, but they are a franchise that is expecting to see some improvements.

So far, there is reason to be optimistic that this organization is heading in the right direction, but they may have hit a bit of a speed bump.

Recently, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams was placed on the injured list with a hip issue that had been lingering in the early part of the season.

The timing is far from ideal for Abrams and the Nationals.

The talented shortstop had gotten off to a strong start to the year, slashing .244/.289/.585 with four home runs, seven RBI and four stolen bases.

After a disappointing second half of the season in 2024, it was great to see the 24-year-old get off to a hot start. Now, that has unfortunately been derailed due to injury.

While it doesn’t seem like it is a major injury, he will be missing time, which isn’t ideal.

Now, the team will likely be sliding Paul DeJong over to shortstop with a platoon of Amed Rosario and Jose Tena taking over at third.

Fortunately, the strong winter for Washington did create a lot of depth for the team, as the immediate replacements are more than serviceable.

However, with their young All-Star out, the team is going to need some of their other young talented players to step up.

James Wood is emerging into a star in 2025, and could arguably be the best player on the team when the season is over.

But while Wood is thriving, a couple of other key players have struggled to begin the year.

Currently, both Luis Garcia Jr. and Dylan Crews are hitting under the Mendoza Line to start the year. As two players who had high expectations coming in, the first couple of weeks have been disappointing.

However, both Garcia and Crews are capable of getting hot and turning it around quickly.

With a player like Abrams out, the Nationals are going to need everyone to step up, but especially their struggling sluggers.

Hopefully, the injury to the All-Star shortstop won’t keep him out for too long, or impact his versatility when he does return.