Davey Martinez gave CJ Abrams a day off in the finale of the series with New York’s Yankees last week in D.C., after Washington’s 23-year-old shortstop went 0 for 8 in the first two with the AL East leaders in Nationals Park.
“Just wanted to give him a little breather,” the Nats’ skipper explained when he put Abrams back in there, batting seventh in the lineup instead of leading off in the series opener with Chicago’s Cubs in the nation’s capital. “I want him to relax a little bit, just kind of start working better at-bats.