Luis Garcia Has A Lot To Prove
Luis Garcia regressed at the plate and in the field and ended up being demoted to Triple-A Rochester for a while in 2023. Despite his poor season, he's entering spring training as the team's starting second baseman, but he could be on a short leash. There have been glimpses for the 23-year-old since he debuted in 2020, but he hasn't been able to find consistency yet. He looked better after returning to D.C. in September and hit .304/.360/.507 over his final 22 games while only making two errors in the field. The Nats didn't add another second baseman in the offseason, but Ildemaro Vargas, Jake Alu, Nasim Nunez and prospects Darren Baker and Trey Lipscomb will see time at the keystone this spring. It's hard to forecast a breakout for Garcia in 2024.
Source: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
Washington Nationals second baseman Source: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
Luis Garcia Jr. Steals Two Bases Thursday
Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double, a run, an RBI, and two stolen bases in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Garcia gave the Nationals a 3-1 lead with his RBI single in the sixth inning. The veteran infielder is now hitting .253 with five doubles, two homers, 15 runs, nine RBI, and six steals across 99 at-bats in 2025. Garcia stole 22 bases last season and is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues for managers who need stolen bases.
Source: MLB.com
Washington Nationals second baseman Source: MLB.com
Luis Garcia Jr. Sitting Against Left-Hander
Luis Garcia Jr. is taking a seat for Saturday's contest at Nationals Park with Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound. Amed Rosario will start at the keystone and hit second against E-Rod. Rosario is hitting just .125 in eight career at-bats against Rodriguez, but the Nats want to get Garcia off his feet against another left-hander. The 24-year-old does have a home run and three RBI in his first six games of the season, but he has just three hits in his first 21 plate appearances with four strikeouts as well. The 29-year-old Rosario is in a prime lineup spot to be a DFS sleeper, and he's also recorded three hits (one homer) in his first eight at-bats of the 2025 campaign as a backup infielder for Washington.
Source: MLB.com
Washington Nationals second baseman Source: MLB.com
Luis Garcia Jr. Sitting Against Southpaw
Luis Garcia Jr. is not in the starting lineup on Saturday as the Washington Nationals will face Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez. Instead, Amed Rosario will get the starting nod at the keystone. Garcia was in the starting lineup on Opening Day when the Nationals faced a right-handed pitcher. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his deployment in the starting lineup, as he took a seat against left-handed pitchers last season as well. In 2024, Garcia appeared in a career-high 140 contests and posted a .282/.318/.444 slash line with 25 doubles and 18 home runs. Last summer, Garcia posted a modest .235/.300/.235 slash line against southpaws. Garcia will likely return to the starting nine on Sunday when the Phillies send Aaron Nola to the mound.
Source: MLB.com
Washington Nationals second baseman Source: MLB.com
Luis Garcia Jr. Back In Spring Lineup On Wednesday
Luis Garcia Jr. (illness) is back at second base and is batting cleanup for the team's Grapefruit League game on Wednesday versus the division-rival Miami Marlins. Garcia is back in action after missing a few days in camp while being under the weather. The 24-year-old second baseman has so far gone 2-for-7 in spring training with an RBI in three games played. The left-handed hitter is on the rise heading into the 2025 season after breaking out with a career year in 2024 when he slashed .282/.318/.444 with a .762 OPS, 18 home runs, 70 RBI, 22 stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 528 trips to the plate over 140 games played. Not only did Garcia loft the ball in the air more, but he also made more contact and hit the ball hard when he did make contact. His strikeout rate is less than ideal, but he's locked into the starting role at second for the Nats, making him a top-10 fantasy second baseman.
Source: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
Washington Nationals second baseman Source: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
Read More News