Abrams remains out of lineup, Williams making another rehab start

CJ Abrams remains out of the Nationals lineup for this afternoon’s finale against the Marlins. It’s the third straight game the young shortstop will miss, but the team remains hopeful he could be available off the bench to pinch-hit.

Abrams was scratched from the lineup before Friday’s game after jamming his left shoulder while making a diving play at short Thursday night. Nasim Nuñez will make his third straight start in place of Abrams, playing shortstop and batting ninth. The switch-hitting Rule 5 pick has gone a combined 0-for-6 over the last two games.

“We're gonna hold him back,” manager Davey Martinez said of Abrams during his pregame media session. “We'll hope that maybe he can pinch-hit today. He's still feeling it a little bit, so we'll keep him down. He's getting treatment and everything. Hopefully, he can pinch-hit today and then be ready to go tomorrow.”

The Nats didn’t schedule any further testing for Abrams, specifically an MRI, and are confident there isn’t any significant damage to his shoulder.

“No, the doctor looked at it and said it's just an impingement,” Martinez said. “He thinks there's nothing damaged in there.”

In other injury news, Trevor Williams is making his second rehab start this afternoon with Double-A Harrisburg in the Senators' season finale against Reading. The right-hander, out since May 30 with a flexor strain in his elbow, tossed three scoreless innings on 28 pitches, 21 strikes, against the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate on Tuesday. The plan is for him to ramp up to four or five innings and 75 pitches today.

“Trevor is throwing today, yes,” Martinez said. “Hopefully, four to five (innings), 75 pitches. Hopefully, he does well and everything goes well.”

If it does indeed go well, the veteran hurler could be activated off the injured list sometime during the Nats’ upcoming road trip to New York and Chicago. What the club does with their rotation after that remains to be seen.

“Well, if everything goes well, it could be (the plan),” the skipper said. “We could maybe do something up here with him. That's the plan, so we'll see. Whether we push one of our guys back and let him start. But we'll see how he comes out of it today.”

The Nats are listing Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz as their starting pitchers for the upcoming series in New York. The Mets are still TBA for all three games.