Nationals' Jacob Young: Won't be given red light on bases
Rotowire
Young went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a caught stealing in Sunday's loss to the Dodgers.
He's reclaimed the full-time job in center field, starting seven straight games while batting .286 (6-for-21), but Young is having major issues on the basepaths. He beat the throw but overslid second base and got tagged out by Mookie Betts on Sunday, and his last successful steal attempt came back on May 6 -- he's 0-for-5 over his 23 games, and on the season Young's gone a brutal 5-for-13. It's a huge blow to the fantasy value of a player that went 33-for-43 on SB attempts in 2024, but Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports that manager Dave Martinez still has confidence in Young's ability to contribute with his legs. "I want him to steal in that spot, down a run," the manager said after the game. "But I also want him to stay on the base. He had the base stolen easy. He just overslid." Young's defense should keep him in the lineup regardless, but given his lack of power and regular spot at the bottom of the order, he offers little to fantasy rosters if he isn't racking up steals.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Settling into short side of platoon
Rotowire
Young is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets.
Since being activated from the 10-day injured list last Friday, Young has made all three of his starts against left-handed pitchers and has been on the bench all three times that the Nationals have faced righties. Manager Dave Martinez looks as though he'll deploy Young in the short side of a platoon in center field with Robert Hassell for the foreseeable future.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Activated Friday
Rotowire
The Nationals activated Young (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list Friday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Young has been on the shelf since May 23 due to a left shoulder AC joint sprain, but he's healthy enough to rejoin the active roster. Young had a brief rehab stint with Double-A Harrisburg, going 3-for-11 with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base over three games. Daylen Lile was optioned to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Starting rehab assignment
Rotowire
Young (shoulder) has been sent to Double-A Harrisburg to begin a rehab assignment, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Young has missed the last week-and-a-half with a left shoulder AC joint sprain but is ready to test things out in game action. He could be back with the Nationals in the next week or so.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Placed on 10-day injured list
Rotowire
The Nationals placed Young on the 10-day injured list Friday with a left shoulder AC joint sprain.
Young initially suffered the injury when he collided with the outfield wall Saturday and was unable to make the necessary improvement to avoid a stint on the IL. He will be eligible for activation May 30, but it's the type of injury that could lead to longer than a minimum absence. Robert Hassell, Alex Call and Daylen Lile will help fill the void in the Nationals' outfield created by the absences of Young and Dylan Crews (oblique).
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Held out again Thursday
Rotowire
Young (shoulder) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.
Young was not going to start Wednesday's game before it was rained out, and he'll remain out of the batting order for Thursday's series finale. He has not played since hurting his left shoulder when he collided with the outfield wall Saturday. Robert Hassell is in center field and batting seventh for the Nationals in his major-league debut.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Remains out Wednesday
Rotowire
Young (shoulder) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
It's the third straight contest Young has missed due to a left shoulder injury. Rookie Robert Hassell will be in center field for the Nationals in his major-league debut.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Withheld from starting nine
Rotowire
Young (shoulder) was absent from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
The 25-year-old had X-rays come back negative on his left shoulder after a collision with the outfield wall Saturday, and he'll step out of the starting nine for at least one game. Dylan Crews is manning center field Sunday while Alex Call receives a start in right.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Exits with injury
Rotowire
Young was removed from Saturday's game against the Orioles with an apparent shoulder injury, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Young collided hard with the center field wall while chasing down a flyball in the seventh inning. The Nationals' training staff seemed to be focusing on the outfielder's left shoulder, though it's still unclear if he suffered any structural damage. He'll be evaluated further, and Alex Call -- who entered as Saturday as his replacement -- could pick up time in the outfield if Young has to miss any amount of time.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Getting break Sunday
Rotowire
Young is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
He'll head to the bench after starting each of the Nationals' last 12 games while slashing .220/.273/.268 with three stolen bases, seven runs and four RBI. With Young out of the lineup, the Nationals will deploy an outfield of James Wood, Dylan Crews and Alex Call from left to right.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Not in Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Young is not in the Nationals' starting lineup against the Mets on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Young will sit for Sunday's series finale after going 1-for-6 with one run scored over the past two games. Alex Call will draw a start in right field and bat eighth while Dylan Crews slides to center against Mets right-hander Tylor Megill.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Regains playing time
Rotowire
Young will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
Young had been jockeying for playing time in center field with Dylan Crews about a week ago, but the Nationals have since opened up regular roles in the outfield for both players. Young and Crews will pick up their sixth consecutive starts in center and right field, respectively, on Wednesday, while Alex Call has moved into a fourth-outfielder role following his recent struggles at the plate.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Sitting in favor of Crews on Monday
Rotowire
Young is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.
Alex Call has swung a hot bat so far this season and appears to have earned an everyday spot in the lineup in right field, leaving Young and Dylan Crews to jockey for playing time in center field. Neither player has been productive at the dish through the Nationals' first 15 games, though Young appears to be coming out of his drought by going 6-for-13 with three walks against no strikeouts over his last five contests. As a result, Young might have a leg up on playing time in center over Crews (.272 OPS, 37.8 percent strikeout rate in 45 plate appearances) for the time being, though the latter player will get the starting nod Monday.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Sitting again Sunday
Rotowire
Young is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Young is on the bench for the second day in a row, but the Nationals aren't yet ready to pull the plug on him as an everyday player while he's struggled to a .067/.263/.133 batting line through his first 20 plate appearances of the season. According to Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post, manager Dave Martinez said that Young has been held out of the lineup the past two days in an effort to clean up his hitting mechanics. The Nationals wanted to have Young address the issue before it turned into a season-long concern, and Martinez noted that the 25-year-old is set to return to the lineup Monday versus the Dodgers.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: First day off Wednesday
Rotowire
Young is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto.
It's the first day off this season for Young, who started each of the first five contests for the Nationals. Dylan Crews will shift over to center field Wednesday while Alex Call gets the start in right field.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Hits not falling in this spring
Rotowire
Young went 0-for-3 in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Hitting ninth in what will likely be the Nationals' Opening Day lineup, Young grounded out all three times he came to the plate. The center fielder is batting .189 (7-for-37) this spring with a 3:9 BB:K, but he's done his usual damage when he has managed to get on base, going 4-for-4 on steal attempts. Young is a one-category fantasy asset -- he's got 46 stolen bases in 56 attempts over his 183 career big-league games despite a mediocre .256/.317/.332 slash line -- but his elite defense will at least ensure he gets regular playing time.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Sitting out with sore shoulder
Rotowire
Young (shoulder) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Young had to be removed from Thursday's contest after banging up his left shoulder on a slide. The good news is that while the shoulder remains sore, there is no structural damage, so consider Young day-to-day. It's unclear whether the speedy outfielder will be available off the bench. Dylan Crews will shift over to center field for the Nationals on Friday, while Joey Gallo draws the start in right.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Day of rest Wednesday
Rotowire
Young is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Arizona, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Young went 2-for-8 at the dish in the first two games of the series but will take a seat for Wednesday's finale. Alex Call will shift over to center field while Travis Blankenhorn draws a start in right.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Adds two steals in loss
Rotowire
Young went 2-for-4 with a double, two stolen bases and a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Cardinals.
Young has picked up steals in pairs, swiping two bags on three different occasions since the All-Star break. In that span, he's gone 8-for-28 (.286) with four RBI and seven runs scored. The outfielder is up to a .252/.317/.319 slash line with one home run, 26 thefts, 22 RBI, 54 runs scored, 14 doubles and a triple over 95 contests this season. The Nationals have been sellers so far, but the outfield is already clear enough for Young to operate as the everyday center fielder.
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Nationals' Jacob Young: Swipes two more bags Saturday
Rotowire
Young went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and two stolen bases in Saturday's 5-4 win against Cincinnati.
Young plated the winning run in the close contest with a single to left field in the eighth inning. He also stole a pair of bases for the second straight day, increasing his total to 24 on the campaign. Young was slumping entering the All-Star break, but he's come out hot to start the second half, going 4-for-6 with the four thefts through two games.
