Washington Nationals Pitcher Opens Up About Shocking Demotion of All-Star Teammate
Saturday ended up being a much more emotional day for the Washington Nationals than anyone could have anticipated coming into the weekend.
All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, the only Nationals representative at the Mid-Summer Classic this year, was shockingly demoted before the game. It was a disciplinary decision by the franchise.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Abrams was demoted because he broke curfew. He was seen out at Bally’s Casino Chicago until at least 8 a.m. despite the team having a game only 5 hours later.
CJ Abrams was 8 for his last 17...the NL All-Star was optoned today. Why? because according to witnesses he was out until 8 am at Bally Casino before a 1pm game. #Nationals GM/Prez said not on his watch and to the minor leagues he went.
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) September 21, 2024
It was a whirlwind of a morning for a young Washington squad to deal with who had to prepare for a game against the Chicago Cubs. Taking the mound for the team was MacKenzie Gore, who was hit especially hard by the Abrams news.
"CJ's family," Gore said via Mark Zuckerman of Masn. "We've played together our whole big-league careers. It's a tough situation for me. I'm always going to be (there) for CJ in this situation. It's interesting. It was a tough day hearing that. You care about him, so it was tough. We're close. He's family. And you know, you lose your best player. It's a tough day."
Despite the incredible challenge he was facing, the young lefty responded in a big way, putting together one of the best starts of his career.
He made it through 6.1 innings without surrendering a hit. Then, with one out in the seventh inning, Patrick Wisdom took him deep to left field for a home run that was recorded at 421 feet.
"I didn't see it. I didn't even look at it," he said. "It was one of those you knew was gone. But the no-hitter's over, and it's time to try to just get the next hitter out."
He was not rattled by the home run, as Gore retired the next two batters. He finished the afternoon with seven innings pitched, allowing one hit and one run with three walks and nine strikeouts in what finished as a 5-1 Nationals win.
This was yet another look into a possible future for Washington. The talented lefty has all of the tools to become a staff ace, performing at a high level over the last few weeks after a tough summer.
Showing that he can perform despite unexpected obstacles, such as the Abrams demotion, will only solidify his standing in the eyes of the team’s decision-makers.
KENNETH TEAPE