Nationals' Alex Call: Back in fourth-outfielder role
Rotowire
Call is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
Since turning in four two-hit performances in his first eight games of the season, Call has slashed just .111/.227/.111 over his ensuing eight contests. Call's downturn in productivity appears to have cost him an everyday role; he'll be on the bench for a fifth straight game while Jacob Young and Dylan Crews have both picked up the pace at the plate of late and have usurped him as regular options in the Washington outfield.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Not starting matinee
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Call is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
After making starts in 11 of 12 games, Call finds himself on the bench for the second straight game. The 30-year-old has been productive early in 2025 with a .300/.415/.400 slash line and 10:3 BB:K through 54 plate appearances.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Starting Friday after all
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Call is starting in left field and batting sixth against the Marlins on Friday.
Call was initially slated for a day off Friday, but he's been inserted into the Nationals' starting lineup due to Nathaniel Lowe (illness) being scratched. Across seven games, Call has gone 8-for-20 with five walks, one stolen base and five RBI.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Sitting out Friday
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Call is not in the lineup for Friday's contest in Miami.
Call had started the last five games and seven of the last eight contests, but he will begin Friday's series opener on the bench. Dylan Crews will play right field and Jacob Young will patrol center field for the Nationals.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Emerging as regular right fielder
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Call will start in right field and bat second in Monday's game versus the Dodgers.
It marks the fifth start over the last five games for Call and his highest placement in the batting order this season. He's earned the playing time by sporting a robust 1.279 OPS in the early going for the Nationals. With Call's emergence as a regular for Washington, Dylan Crews has become the team's primary center fielder and Jacob Young has been a reserve.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Swipes first bag in win
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Call went 2-for-2 with a walk, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Call delivered RBI singles in the first and fourth innings and also swiped his first bag of the season. The 30-year-old has gone 4-for-8 in three starts to open the year and is seeing inconsistent playing time as Washington's No. 4 outfielder.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Set for bench role
Rotowire
Call is expected to begin the season as the Nationals' fourth outfielder, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
The 30-year-old may not see much work however, with Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and James Wood entrenched in the starting lineup and all 25 years of age or younger. Call solidified his spot on the Opening Day roster by batting .333 (13-for-39) this spring with 12 walks against only five strikeouts, but his .231/.332/.364 career slash line in the majors better reflects his lack of fantasy upside should he find himself getting consistent playing time.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Placed on 10-day IL
Rotowire
The Nationals placed Call on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot.
Call was carted off the field in Friday's game against Atlanta after falling to the ground while pursuing a flyball. More tests are needed, but given the nature of the injury, the Nationals could elect to hold Call out for the remainder of the season. It's a brutal blow for the 29-year-old, who was slashing .343/.425/.525 with five stolen bases, nine doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI across 113 plate appearances this season. Dylan Crews is slated to be called up Monday, but in the interim, Drew Millas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take the Call's spot on the 26-man roster for the weekend.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Carted off field
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Call fell to the ground pursuing a fly ball during Friday's game against Atlanta and was carted off the field, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
While the specifics of the injury are unknown at this point, it's certainly not a good sign that Call required a cart to exit the field. The right fielder attempted to walk off under his own power but was unable to do so. With Dylan Crews already set to join the big-league roster Monday, Call's injury may have created an immediate opening in the starting nine for the top prospect to fill.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Goes yard again Sunday
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Call went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Phillies.
The 29-year-old outfielder has three homers in 99 big-league plate appearances this year, and two of them came in back-to-back games this weekend. Call has cooled down a bit since he reeled off six straight multi-hit performances earlier this month, going just 5-for-25 (.200) since with a 1:6 BB:K, but four of those knocks have gone for extra bases.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Drawing third straight start
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Call will start in center field and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Call will pick up his third consecutive start, this time occupying center field after his previous two starts came in right field. He's gone 3-for-5 with a home run, three walks and three RBI in the first two games in Arizona, and Call should have a clear runway to handle a regular role in the outfield so long as he keeps producing at the dish.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Clubs homer in win
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Call went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and two walks in Monday's 9-8 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Call got the start in right field following the trades of Jesse Winker and Lane Thomas over the last few days. The outfielder previously went 5-for-16 (.313) over his first seven games of the season, but he was sent down to Triple-A Rochester in early May. He'll have a chance to carve out a starting role, though it's expected Call will have to compete with Travis Blankenhorn -- who is expected to be recalled from Rochester on Tuesday -- for playing time in right field. Top prospect Dylan Crews will also likely be called up at some point in the second half, further crowding the Nationals' outfield.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Gets first shot in right field
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Call will start in right field and bat sixth Monday versus the Diamondbacks, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Call will get the first opportunity to replace Lane Thomas in right field after Thomas was traded to the Guardians on Monday. The Nationals had just recalled Call from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday after Jesse Winker was traded to the Mets. Call has produced a .313 average with a double, an RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base over 21 plate appearances with the Nationals this season.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Nationals optioned Call to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
Call was with the Nats for the bulk of last season, but with some veteran outfield additions over the winter, there's no room for him on the Opening Day roster. He should bounce around to all three outfield spots at Rochester.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Comfortable at plate in spring
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Call went 1-for-1 with two RBI and a walk in Monday's 11-4 Grapefruit League win over the Cardinals.
There is no way to sugarcoat Call's 2023 numbers, which included a .200/.307/.307 slash line through 439 plate appearances. However, the versatile outfielder has shown some sparks at the plate this spring, slashing .353/.500/1.088 with seven RBI in 17 at-bats. Call will have to continue performing in similar fashion during what remains of spring to ensure a reserve outfield spot on the Opening Day roster.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Hits homer in rare start
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Call went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss against Atlanta.
Call accounted for the first Washington run with his 364-foot solo shot off Max Fried in the third inning. The 28-year-old outfielder has only started five games for the Nationals in September as he splits time in left field with Jake Alu and Blake Rutherford. Call is slashing .199/.306/.307 with eight homers and nine stolen bases over 126 games.
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Nationals' Alex Call: On bench Sunday
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Call is not in the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.
Jacob Young, who was promoted Saturday from Triple-A Rochester, will start in center field and bat ninth. Call has slashed just .204/.306/.307 across 405 plate appearances this season and might be in danger of losing his grip on a regular role in the Nationals' outfield.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Swipes eighth bag
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Call went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Rangers.
It was another productive performance for Call from the ninth spot in the batting order. The 28-year-old has hit safely in five straight games since rejoining the big-league roster, going 6-for-16 (.375) over that stretch with two of his five homers and two of his eight steals on the season. Victor Robles (back) doesn't yet have a clear timeline for his return, so Call should continue filling in as the Nationals center fielder coming out of the All-Star break.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Homers, scores three times in loss
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Call went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, three runs scored and a stolen base in Thursday's loss to Cincinnati.
Call walked in each of his first two trips to the plate and came around to score on a Lane Thomas single in the fifth inning after stealing second. He then launched a solo homer in the seventh to put the Nationals on top 3-2 and later came around to score a third time in the 10th. It was the center fielder's first home run since May 4, and he's now registered a hit in each of his first two games since being recalled.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Returns to big leagues
Rotowire
Call was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
The Nationals gave Derek Hill a run in center field for a while, but they've now designated him for assignment and brought back Call. The 28-year-old has batted only .209/.299/.291 across 251 plate appearances in the majors this season but could see regular action in center field while Victor Robles (back) recuperates.
