Slumping Kieboom demoted, Doolittle activated off IL

Their 60-game season nearly halfway complete, the Nationals decided to pull the plug (at least temporarily) on Plan A for replacing Anthony Rendon at third base.

The Nats optioned struggling rookie Carter Kieboom to their alternate training site in Fredericksburg this afternoon, an unexpected transaction that also saw reliever Sean Doolittle activated off the 10-day injured list.

Though Kieboom had been struggling at the plate - he was batting .200 (10-for-50) with zero extra-base hits, 11 walks and 20 strikeouts - the Nationals seemed to be committed to playing their top prospect in the big leagues during this abridged season. And with veteran infielders Howie Kendrick and Asdrúbal Cabrera dealing with nagging injuries and trying to avoid getting worn down by playing every day, Kieboom's presence on the roster seemed necessary.

But the Nationals' offensive struggles as a whole and Kieboom's struggles on an individual level seem to have forced the issue.

The club wasn't all that concerned at the outset about the 22-year-old's ability to hit at this level, though his performance in 28 major league games over the last two seasons (a .169/.299/.236 offensive slash line) didn't match the expectation level for a top prospect who slashed .287/.378/.469 in the minors.

The final straw may have come during Tuesday night's loss to the Phillies, during which Kieboom twice hit into inning-ending double plays on the first pitch of at-bats.

"For me, those pitches were two good pitches to hit," manager Davey Martinez said today during his pregame Zoom session with reporters, which occurred before the roster move was announced. "He was just a little tardy on them. We want him to be aggressive in those situations, get a ball we feel like he can drive. And those were two balls I really felt that he should've hit hard. One of them was almost down the middle. We've got to get him going somehow. We'll see what happens here."

Ironically, the Nationals' biggest area of concern with Kieboom - his defense - wasn't a problem. After making several strong plays at third base and several more when positioned near second base during infield shifts, Kieboom actually rated as the majors' second-best third baseman in Defensive Runs Saved, trailing only multi-Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado.

Cabrera, who has hit well but is dealing with a sore foot after fouling off a pitch over the weekend, becomes the everyday third baseman. Rookie Luis García continues to get to play nearly every day at second base, with Starlin Castro likely out for the season with a broken hand. And the pressure will be on Kendrick and Eric Thames to stay healthy and productive and share the first base/designated hitter roles.

Doolittle, meanwhile, returns to the active roster 16 days after he last pitched and went on the IL with what the Nationals called right knee fatigue. The left-hander had been pitching with diminished velocity since summer training and had been roughed up for five runs on seven hits (three of those homers) in three innings of work spread out over five appearances.

Doolittle spent the last two weeks in Fredericksburg rehabbing and building his arm back up. He faced live hitters twice in recent days and appears to have performed well enough to convince club officials he's ready to rejoin the big league staff.