LUIS GARCÍA NEWS

Homers again Sunday Garcia went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Sunday's extra-innings win over the Brewers.

Impact He drove a Brandon Woodruff fastball out of the park to center field in the second inning, the only run the Nationals managed until they scored the game-winner in the top of the 11th. Garcia has gone yard in back-to-back games, but since rejoining the big-league roster Sept. 8 he's batting just .207 (6-for-29), and the 23-year-old's future as a starting-caliber player in the majors remains in doubt.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goes deep in loss Garcia went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a walk in a loss to the Brewers on Saturday.

Impact Garcia recorded the only extra-base hit of the game for Washington with his third-inning solo homer against Corbin Burnes. The infielder added another RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. Garcia was recalled Sept. 8 from an extended stay in the minors and had been struggling since his return prior to Saturday, going 2-for-22 over his first eight games back.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Benched against lefty Garcia isn't in the Nationals' lineup Friday against the Brewers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Impact With southpaw Wade Miley on the mound for Milwaukee, Garcia will be forced to the bench for the start of Friday's game. Michael Chavis will instead start at the keystone while batting seventh.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

On bench against lefty Garcia is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Pirates.

Impact Ildemaro Vargas will start at second base and bat fifth as the Nationals take on left-hander Bailey Falter. Garcia, who was recalled Friday from Triple-A Rochester, is expected to play mostly versus righties down the stretch.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Steps out of lineup Garcia is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Postreports.

Impact Garcia started the past two games after being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, and he'll head to the bench after going 1-for-7 with an RBI and a run. Michael Chavis will take over at the keystone and bat sixth.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Returns to big leagues Garcia was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact Garcia was sent down the minors in early August following a poor start to the second half, but he's being given another opportunity even though he hit only .268/.315/.381 with one homer and two steals in 25 games with Rochester. The 23-year-old should receive regular starts at second base at least against right-handed pitching.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Returning to majors Garcia is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Rochester ahead of Friday's series opener against the Dodgers, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Impact Garcia has slashed just .268/.315/.381 with one homer and two steals in 25 games since being demoted to Triple-A in early August, but the Nationals will give him another major-league opportunity as they look ahead to 2024 beyond. Jake Alu has been getting most of the starts at second base in recent weeks, but he could shift more into an outfield role as the Nats deal with injuries in that area of the depth chart.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Demoted to Triple-A The Nationals optioned Garcia to Triple-A Rochester following Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Brewers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Impact Garcia, who was on the bench Wednesday but entered the contest late as a pinch-hitter, will head back to the minors after going 12-for-61 (.197 average) while drawing just two walks in 18 games since the All-Star break. The Nationals haven't announced an immediate replacement for Garcia, but among players currently on the 26-man active roster, Ildemaro Vargas or Michael Chavis could be first in line to fill in for him at the keystone.

AUGUST 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

On bench against lefty Garcia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact The Nationals are facing a lefty (Wade Miley) and playing a day game after a night game, so manager Dave Martinez likely viewed it as an opportune time to give the lefty-hitting Garcia a day off following a stretch of seven consecutive starts. Michael Chavis will replace Garcia at second base and bat ninth.

AUGUST 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swipes eighth bag Garcia went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 11-6 win over the Mets.

Impact The 23-year-old second baseman is heating up again, banging out five hits in the last two games and batting .314 (11-for-35) over his last 10. Garcia's production has been inconsistent this season, but he continues to tease some fantasy upside -- after beginning his big-league career having gone 4-for-11 on stolen base attempts over his first three seasons, he's 8-for-12 on the basepaths in 2023.

JULY 30, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swats sixth homer Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Mets.

Impact He spoiled Max Scherzer's shutout bid in the seventh inning with his sixth long ball of the season, but that was one of the few bright spots on the night for the Nationals. Garcia snapped a 44-game homer drought with the blast, a stretch in which the 23-year-old slashed .245/.275/.308 with 16 runs, 16 RBI and four steals.

JULY 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not in lineup Tuesday Garcia is absent from the lineup Tuesday versus the Rockies.

Impact Michael Chavis will start at second base and bat seventh as the Nationals face off against left-hander Austin Gomber. The left-handed-hitting Garcia has slashed just .257/.266/.391 with one home run in 114 plate appearances this year versus southpaws.

JULY 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Picks up sixth steal Garcia went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Cubs.

Impact Garcia has three multi-hit efforts in July, but he's batting just .200 (9-for-45) through 12 contests this month. He's added two steals and five RBI, but it's been a noticeable drop in performance for the second baseman, who hit a steady .289 in June. For the season, he's at a .266/.301/.370 slash line with five home runs, 41 RBI, 41 runs scored and six steals over 86 games.

JULY 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not starting nightcap Garcia isn't in Washington's lineup for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact Garcia went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored during Game 1 on Saturday and will now get a breather for the second game. Michael Chavis will take over at the keystone and bat ninth.

JULY 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Getting Sunday off Garcia is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Impact The lefty-hitting Garcia typically plays regularly against both right- and left-handed pitching, but because he had started each of the last 16 games along with the fact that the Phillies are bringing southpaw Ranger Suarez to the hill, the Nationals likely viewed Sunday's contest as an optimal time to give the infielder a breather. Michael Chavis will check in for Garcia at the keystone.

JULY 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Notches fourth steal Garcia went 2-for-5 with two RBI and one stolen base in Tuesday's 7-4 extra-innings win over the Mariners.

Impact This was Garcia's third straight multi-hit game, a stretch that follows his 0-for-11 skid across three contests. The second baseman has hit well in June, batting .303 (27-for-89) over 23 contests with six extra-base hits. For the season, he's slashing .280/.315/.394 with five home runs, four steals, 36 RBI and 35 runs scored through 305 plate appearances as a near-everyday presence in the Nationals' lineup.

JUNE 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sitting versus southpaw Garcia is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Astros.

Impact Garcia will take a seat as the Nationals face off with left-hander Framber Valdez on the mound. Switch-hitter Ildemaro Vargas will take over at second base and bat sixth against Houston.

JUNE 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Pops fourth homer Garcia went 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Dodgers.

Impact His eighth-inning shot off Brusdar Graterol broke open a 5-5 tie and proved to be the game-winning hit. Garcia is coming off a strong May in which he slashed .304/.347/.411 through 27 games with two of his four homers on the year, and while his lack of plus power or speed caps his fantasy value, the 23-year-old appears to be taking a big step forward at the plate in 2023.

JUNE 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Makes franchise history Friday Garcia went 6-for-6 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 12-10 win over the Royals.

Impact The 23-year-old was the lynchpin of a 15-hit barrage for the Nationals as they set new season highs in offense. Garcia also wrote his name in a couple different record books -- he became the first player in the Washington chapter of the club's history to rap out two doubles in the same inning, and just the third in the franchise's combined Nats/Expos history with six hits in a game, following Anthony Rendon in 2017 and Rondell White in 1995. Garcia is also the second-youngest MLB player in the modern era to collect six hits in a nine-inning game, with only Jesus Alou in 1964 being younger. Garcia has been locked in at the plate for a while now, recording nine multi-hit performances in the last 18 games and compiling a .368/.402/.461 slash line over that stretch with a homer, two steals, six RBI and 14 runs.

MAY 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Out of lineup again Sunday Garcia is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Impact Garcia is out of the lineup for a second consecutive contest. The 23-year-old infielder opens Sunday's game against Detroit on the bench while Michael Chavis gets the start at second base and hits seventh.

MAY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Day off Saturday Garcia will sit Saturday against the Tigers, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact Garcia hits the bench after starting 21 straight games at second base. He's making plenty of contact this season, striking out just 1.0 percent of the time, but that's so far only resulted in a modest .255/.301/.359 slash line. Ildemaro Vargas will spell him at the keystone Saturday.

MAY 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Batting leadoff Thursday Garcia is batting leadoff Thursday against the Marlins.

Impact Garcia had been hitting second over the last three weeks, but the Nationals will switch things up -- usual leadoff man Lane Thomas is in the No. 2 spot -- for Thursday's series finale versus the Marlins and young right-hander Eury Perez. Garcia is slashing .304/.360/.391 in his last 76 plate appearances dating back to April 30.

MAY 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swipes second bag Garcia went 0-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Mets.

Impact The 22-year-old isn't known for his speed, but he swiped his second bag of the year as the Nationals put pressure on Mets rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez in a low-scoring game. Garcia is enjoying a strong start to May, slashing .326/.396/.465 through 11 games, but a lack of power -- both on his own part and in the lineup around him -- limits his fantasy ceiling even when he's on a roll at the plate.

MAY 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Gets aboard four times in win Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, one RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 9-8 win over the Diamondbacks.

Impact Garcia has shredded Arizona pitching this weekend, going 8-for-13 with a home run and two doubles over three games. He was hitting just .223 coming into the series, but he's now at .271 with a .737 OPS, three homers, 16 RBI, 13 runs scored and a stolen base through 29 contests on the season. He's adjusted well to being the No. 2 hitter over the last week or so.

MAY 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Smacks third homer of season Garcia went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's loss against the Diamondbacks.

Impact Garcia's 344-foot shot to left gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The infielder is off to a hot start this month, slashing .294/.368/.529 since May 1st. The 22-year-old is currently on pace to pass his career-high of seven long balls in a season, which he hit across 93 games last year.

MAY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE