Washington Nationals player CJ Abrams was demoted to the minor leagues after reportedly violating curfew by spending the night at Bally’s Casino in Chicago last week. The 23-year-old All-Star shortstop was seen at the Illinois gaming property from Thursday night until 8 a.m. Friday, according to USA Today, which constitutes a violation of the MLB team’s rules.
At 1 p.m. on Friday, the Nationals played the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and Abrams, possibly short on sleep, went 0-for-3 during the game, registering a walk and a strikeout. Initially reported by CHGO’s Cody Delmendo, the news of Abrams’ demotion has raised eyebrows.
On Saturday, Abrams was instructed to spend the rest of the season with the Rochester Red Wings, a Triple-A affiliate of the Nationals. This decision will lead to Abrams losing $30,000 of his $752,000 salary, according to ESPN. With the Nationals’ season nearing its end in a week and Rochester concluding its season this weekend, Abrams will subsequently report to the Nationals’ minor league facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., USA Today reported.
Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged the report but called the situation an internal issue, stating, “We’re all aware of the report, but beyond that it’s an internal issue that we will keep in the family.” Nationals Manager Davey Martinez supported Abrams, emphasizing that the decision was not performance-based. “I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based. I’m going to support CJ. He’s a big part of our Nats family, and he will be. But without getting into any details, this was the right thing to do,” Martinez stated.
In his last 49 games, Abrams was batting .203 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and seven errors since August, as reported by Yahoo Sports. He struck out 48 times and only walked 10 times during that period. It remains unclear if Abrams will file a grievance over the demotion, according to MSN.
Abrams was acquired by the Nationals in 2022 as part of a Juan Soto trade with the Padres. Once regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects, Abrams was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024 after batting .268/.343/.489 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in his first 89 games, according to Sports Illustrated.
