Just over two months ago, CJ Abrams played in the MLB All-Star Game.
Now, he’s headed to the minors — but his play had nothing to do with the decision.
The Nationals shockingly sent down their star shortstop with roughly a week to go in the regular season after Abrams reportedly spent the entire night at a casino near Chicago and left just hours before the Nationals faced the Cubs in a 1 p.m. game Friday, according to ESPN.
“I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based,” Washington manager Dave Martinez told reporters, according to the Washington Post’s Andrew Golden. “It’s an internal issue. I’m not going to give specifics.”
Martinez added that Abrams — who went 0-for-3 while striking out and walking during the Nationals’ game Friday — will report to the organization’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida and won’t play in the majors again this season.
Abrams has emerged as a centerpiece for the rebuilding Nationals in recent years, making his demotion a bizarre development.
Abrams hit.246/.314/.433 with 20 home runs and 31 stolen bases for Washington this season but has struggled in the second half.
The 23-year-old has batted just .203 with five long balls in 49 games since the All-Star break, although he had been hot over the past two weeks, hitting .324 with two home runs and three stolen bases.
In the first half, Abrams hit .268 with 15 homers.
Washington acquired Abrams, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, as part of the massive package that sent Juan Soto to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline.
Abrams established himself as the shortstop of the future in the nation’s capital in 2023, when he hit 18 home runs and stole 47 bags while hitting .245/.300/.412 in his first full big league season.