CJ Abrams to Play 2B for Nationals, First Time at Position Since 2022

CJ Abrams is heading across the infield dirt. The Washington Nationals are shifting their shortstop to second base in the coming days — his first appearance at the position since 2022 — with manager Blake Butera announcing that Nasim Nuñez will take over as the regular shortstop, per Jessica Camerato's report for MLB.com.

The move is framed as playing out over the final six weeks of the season, giving Nuñez an extended look at short while Abrams settles into a new home on the right side of the bag.

What we know

Butera made the announcement, and the Nationals' own channel reported it. Abrams has not played second base since 2022, so there is a real adjustment period baked into the timeline — though the framing of "coming days" rather than "immediately" suggests the club is not rushing the transition.

One wrinkle worth noting: despite the announced move, Abrams remained at shortstop in the Nationals' lineup at Citi Field, with Dylan Crews leading off in right field. The position change is clearly in motion, but the exact game it takes effect is still unresolved.

What we don't know yet

The reasoning behind the timing has not been spelled out in the source material, though prior reporting flagged that the shift may be tied to farm system planning rather than a current roster need. That remains unconfirmed. It is also unclear how the defensive alignment affects the rest of the infield beyond Nuñez sliding into short.

For a knowledgeable Nationals watcher, the name to track here is Nuñez — this is his audition, and six weeks is a meaningful sample.