Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is out of the starting nine for the first game of their doubleheader with the visiting Detroit Tigers. Garcia Jr. will hit the bench with left-handed hurler Tyler Holton toeing the rubber for Detroit. Teammate Amed Rosario will man the keystone in his stead and operate from the three-hole. The New York native carries a solid .266/.306/.413 slash line and holds a 98th percentile .307 xBA. Furthermore, he's sporting career-highs in average exit velocity (90.6 MPH) and hard-hit rate (48.3%). However, he's just 8-for-42 (.190) against southpaws.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz, designated hitter Josh Bell and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are all out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a left-hander on the mound. Riley Adams is doing the catching and hitting seventh, James Wood is the DH and is batting second, and Amed Rosario is at the keystone and in the five-hole versus rookie lefty Carson Palmquist. Andres Chaparro is manning first base and batting cleanup. Ruiz actually has reverse splits against lefties in 2025 with a .298 average (14-for-47) with one of his two home runs, but he has been sitting more frequently of late against lefty pitchers. Even though there's a lefty on the mound, Wood is an intriguing DFS play against the rookie southpaw. He's hitting .272 (25-for-92) with five of his 17 homers against lefties on the year.

Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell, catcher Keibert Ruiz and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are all sitting for Friday's game in D.C. against the visiting Texas Rangers. Outfielder Alex Call is serving as the designated hitter and is batting fifth, Riley Adams is doing the catching and hitting sixth, and Nasim Nunez is starting at the keystone and in the nine-hole of the batting order against Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin. Nathaniel Lowe is starting at first base and batting cleanup for the Nats. While Ruiz is a switch-hitter, both Bell and Garcia bat from the left side and will get the day off against the left-handed pitcher. Call, Adams and Nunez have never faced Corbin before in their careers. Call has hit over .300 in 48 plate appearances versus southpaws this year, but he's still searching for his first homer.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. had a solo home run in his team's 9-0 win on Wednesday night, giving him five long balls on the season. Garcia opened the scoring with his 404-foot blast in the second inning and finished the night 1-for-4, while later adding a walk and another run scored. The 25-year-old lefty is hitting only .234 on the year but does have a handful of home runs and 20 RBI, along with seven stolen bases. He has a .291 xBA and .475 xSLG, indicating that his quality of contact has been better than his batting average and slugging percentage indicate. Garcia can be an emergency fill-in or DFS streaming play at a thin 2B position now that he's recovered from his slow start to the season, but he isn't a must-start in standard leagues at this point.

Washington Nationals infielders Luis Garcia Jr. and Jose Tena will start on the bench for Sunday's series finale against the visiting San Francisco Giants. Nasim Nunez is starting at second base and batting eighth, while Amed Rosario is playing third base and hitting in the two-hole against Giants left-hander Robbie Ray. The two left-handed-hitting infielders will get the day off with a tough left-hander on the mound. Garcia has really struggled against southpaws so far in 2025, going 2-for-23 against them with four RBI, a steal and two strikeouts in 30 plate appearances. Nunez has never faced Ray in his career, but Rosario is hitting .417 off of him with a 1.129 OPS in 12 career at-bats. Rosario certainly has limited upside because of his lack of power, but he's in a great lineup spot on Sunday and has hit a cool .305 (25-for-82) on the season with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored for the Nats.

The Washington Nationals activated second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. off the paternity list on Friday and optioned infielder Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. The Nationals have yet to release their starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Baltimore against the Orioles and left-hander Cade Povich, but fantasy managers should expect Garcia to be back at second base. As far as whether to start the 25-year-old left-handed hitter in DFS lineups, that will only be for the bold. Garcia is hitting just .226 (30-for-133) in his first 38 games after a breakout season in 2024. He's also really struggled against lefties, going 2-for-20 against them with no homers and three RBI in 27 plate appearances. Garcia is hitting .184 (7-for-38) with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, two steals and eight strikeouts in 11 games in the month of May.

The Washington Nationals placed second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. on the paternity list on Tuesday and recalled infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move, according to The Washington Post's Andrew Golden. Garcia is welcoming a new addition into his family this week and is expected to miss the entire series against the division-rival Atlanta Braves before rejoining the club on Friday before their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. After a breakout in 2024, the 24-year-old has mostly disappointed in his first 38 games in 2025, going 30-for-133 (.226) with three home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI, six steals and 18 runs scored as the Nats' primary second baseman. While he's out for a few games, expect Washington to use veteran Amed Rosario as the fill-in at the keystone. Rosario makes plenty of contact and is hitting .282 (20-for-71), but he doesn't offer much else in fantasy.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. hit a two-run home run in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Reds, his third of the season. The 24-year-old got off to a slow start to the season but has started to turn things around recently, collecting two home runs and three multi-hit games in his last nine games played. His slash line still looks disappointing at .234/.282/.360, but he has delivered a useful power and speed combination with three home runs and six stolen bases.

Washington Nationals second baseman 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.

Washington Nationals second baseman 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.

Washington Nationals second baseman 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.

Washington Nationals second baseman 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.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (undisclosed) was scratched from Saturday's lineup. As a result, Darren Baker got the starting nod at the keystone. Fantasy managers should monitor his status as the team did not provide much context about his injury. Last season, Garcia logged a career-high 140 games in his fifth-MLB campaign. Across this stint, Garcia posted a career-best .282/.318/.444 slash line with 25 doubles and 18 home runs. He swiped 22 bags and added 58 runs and 70 RBI. He showed a strong eye at the plate as he only struck out at a 16.3 percent rate. He also generated a .278 xBA. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Garcia to operate as the team's primary second baseman. However, last season, he did sit occasionally against southpaws, which slightly hinders his fantasy value.

MASN's Mark Zuckerman writes that Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is firmly entrenched as the everyday second baseman for the team going into the 2025 season after he was seemingly on the hot seat every day during spring training a year ago because of his defensive struggles. "Luis is in a different place," manager Dave Martinez said. "I've seen a big jump in his maturity so far this spring. He's got a plan moving forward. I think he learned a lot about what he can really be last year, and he's really taken it upon himself to come to camp and start where he left off." Not only did the 24-year-old win a spot on the Opening Day roster last year, he broke out with a .282/.318/.444 slash line, 18 home runs, 70 RBI and 22 steals in 500 at-bats and is a top-10 fantasy second baseman at RotoBaller. Garcia hit more fly balls and improved his hard-hit and barrel rates and will hope to sustain them in 2025.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) is back in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon as the Nationals continue a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. The infielder has been sidelined for the past two games due to a wrist injury. He will return on Saturday but will serve as the designated hitter and bat in the three-hole. Fantasy managers should expect the 24-year-old to return to the infield very soon. Before the minor injury, Garcia was in the midst of a slump through September, holding a .175/.233/.300 line with just three extra-base hits. Throughout the summer, Garcia has posted a strong .280 AVG with 16 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Fantasy managers should feel confident starting him this afternoon as he will face Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks who carries a hefty 6.25 ERA.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) is out of the starting lineup again on Thursday at Wrigley Field for the contest against the hosting Chicago Cubs. Darren Baker is manning second base for the Nats and will hit eighth against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. This will be Garcia's second straight game on the bench due to wrist discomfort, although it's not considered a very serious injury. Fantasy managers should consider the 24-year-old to be day-to-day. Garcia is in the midst of a career season, as he enters Thursday's action slashing .280/.319/.440 with a .759 OPS, 16 home runs, 25 RBI and 21 stolen bases in his 132 games played. He would surely like to return soon to finish off his strong 2024 season the right way. Baker, 25, will be playing in just his sixth major-league game on Thursday. He's gone 2-for-5 so far with a double and two strikeouts for the Nats.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) said his right wrist was bothering him after his last swing in Tuesday's contest at Citi Field against the division-rival New York Mets, and manager Dave Martinez removed him as a precaution. Before he was pulled, Garcia went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before eventually being replaced at the keystone by Jose Tena. The 24-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be too serious, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the Nationals give Garcia a day to rest on Wednesday. It's been a breakout season in 2024 for Garcia in his fifth year in the big leagues for Washington, as he entered Tuesday's action slashing .281/.320/.442 with career-highs in OPS (.762), home runs (16), RBI (65) and stolen bases (21) in 131 games played. If Garcia misses additional time, either Tena or Ildemaro Vargas will pick up playing time at second base.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. and outfielder/designated hitter Joey Gallo are both out of the lineup on Wednesday at Nationals Park against the division-rival Atlanta Braves and left-hander Max Fried. Ildemaro Vargas is starting at second base and batting eighth, while Andres Chaparro serves as the DH and bats out of the three-hole against Fried. Garcia is in the midst of the best season of his career by far, as he came into Wednesday slashing .284/.322/.443 with career-highs in OPS (.766), home runs (15), RBI (63) and stolen bases (21) in a career-high 126 games played as Washington's starting second baseman. None of his 15 long balls on the year have come against southpaws, though, and he's also hitting just .167 (5-for-30) with eight strikeouts in 10 games over the last 14 days. It's a good day to get Garcia off his feet against a tough lefty.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are both retreating to the bench on Friday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Truist Park with Braves All-Star left-hander Chris Sale toeing the rubber. Nasim Nunez will man shortstop and hit ninth, while Ildemaro Vargas will start at the keystone and bat sixth against Sale. DFS managers will probably want to avoid both Nunez and Vargas as low-cost deep sleepers in this matchup. Abrams has been a first-time All-Star in 2024 actually has had versus splits; he's hitting .291 (44-for-151) against southpaws this year, although only four of his 18 home runs have come against them. Garcia, meanwhile, is hitting .262 (22-for-84) against lefties but has yet to go deep against them this year. Garcia is also having a breakout campaign, already setting career-highs in homers (15), RBI (63) and steals (20) in 112 games.

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. belted his 15th home run of the season with three RBI in Wednesday night's win over the visiting Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park. Garcia hammered a three-run shot off Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon to right-center field in Wednesday's victory over Colorado, making the score 5-0 Nationals in the third inning. The 24-year-old infielder has evolved into a difference-making pickup for fantasy managers since July 3, batting .368 (50-for-136) with eight homers, 26 RBI, and 22 runs scored in his last 37 games as Washington's everyday second baseman.