Slumping Abrams sits again; Williams could go on brief rehab assignment

PITTSBURGH – Davey Martinez has already tried moving CJ Abrams down in the lineup. Now the Nationals manager is trying to get his slumping shortstop some more rest in an attempt to get his hitting stroke back on track.

Abrams is not in the Nats’ lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Pirates, the third time that’s been the case in the team’s last 12 games. Rookie Nasim Nunez instead is starting against left-hander Bailey Falter.

It’s an unfamiliar situation for Abrams, but it has become harsh reality for the 23-year-old All-Star after two months of diminished production.

“We all know that he’s struggling a little bit,” Martinez said. “And against a lefty, I’ll give him a day off, let Nasim play. We’re trying to get him going again. I know he’s been struggling lately. So just another day. We got in pretty late (from Miami). Give him a day off his feet. He’ll be ready to go later on.”

Abrams’ two-month decline has been steep. He sported a .282/.353/.506 slash line on July 7, only a few days after he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. In 46 games since, he’s slashing .163/.231/.270, with only five doubles, four homers and nine walks while striking out 46 times.

Martinez took the previously unprecedented step of moving Abrams out of one of the top two spots in the lineup last week, moving him to either sixth or seventh in the batting order. Now he’s giving him more regular days off, especially against left-handers.

The biggest difference Martinez notices in Abrams’ swing? His stride has gotten long, leading to more swings and misses. He’s also getting precious few fastballs to hit in the zone, often leaving him flailing at offspeed pitches down and away.

“It’s part of hitting. Sometimes you get in that little funk,” Martinez said. “It sounds easy, but it’s hard when you’re out there competing to try to get yourself to slow down a little bit. For right now, he’s taking batting practice, and we’re trying to get his foot down a little earlier and get him down on time so he’s not striding so big.”

Abrams’ struggles have opened the door for Nunez to get a bit more playing time after the Rule 5 Draft pick has spent the majority of the season watching from the bench.

Despite owning a spot on the active roster since Opening Day, this is only Nunez’s 36th game played, only his ninth start. It’s his sixth start in the last month, though, and it comes as he has shown more at the plate. After opening his career 0-for-10 with a walk, Nunez is 8 for his last 17 with three walks and three sacrifice bunts.

“We all know he’s a really good infielder, can catch the ball and has a good arm,” Martinez said. “We talked a lot about his approach hitting. It’s just trying to not to get too big and do too much. He’s done a way better job of that. He’s taking his walks. He’s putting the ball in play. He’s starting to understand bunting is a big part of this game. And he’s starting to get on base for us. I’m really excited when I get a chance to play him.”

* Trevor Williams took another step in his attempt to return before season’s end from an elbow injury, throwing 59 pitches to live hitters this afternoon.

It’s the second time Williams has faced live hitters in a simulated game over the last week, and Martinez said the right-hander could now be ready to begin a brief rehab assignment in the minors.

Out since late-May with a flexor strain in his right elbow, Williams has been trying to make it back to pitch before the season ends. The Nationals would like to make that happen, with Martinez hoping to be able to use him as a sixth starter over the final couple weeks of September to allow younger members of the rotation to get extra rest without having to be shut down.

Given the compressed timeline, Williams might only be able to build up to 75-80 pitches in a minor league game before the Nats would activate him off the 60-day injured list. The club believes that would still be worth it.

One of the hitters Williams faced today was Alex Call, who has made significant progress from the partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Call was also able to run on the field for the first time since going on the IL, and there remains a possibility he could return to play before the season is over.