Player News
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Avila will retire at the end of the regular season, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports. Avila is hitting .179/.347/.333 in his 13th and supposedly final season. He caught for the Tigers from 2009 to 2015 and has since spent time with five other clubs. The 34-year-old, who will become a free agent when the season ends, is a career .233 hitter with 105 home runs.
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Avila (calves) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. Avila missed nearly two months due to bilateral calf strains, but he recently made a rehab appearance in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The 34-year-old will likely serve as a backup catcher after Keibert Ruiz was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
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Avila (calves) began a rehab assignment Saturday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, going 0-for-3 while catching six innings. The appearance for the FCL club was Avila's first game action at any level since July 1. The 34-year-old backstop will likely be eased back slowly from bilateral calf strains, and with top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz set to make his Nationals debut Monday, Avila presumably won't be in store for more than 2-to-3 starts per week once he's activated from the 10-day injured list.
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Avila (calves) was spotted running on the field prior to Wednesday's win over the Blue Jays, and he could throw to the bases during a workout Friday, the Associated Press reports. Avila hasn't played for the Nationals since July 1 due to bilateral calf strains, but the 34-year-old looks like he's starting to ramp up again. Because of the length of his absence, Avila will likely require a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list, and the Nationals may be inclined to wait until rosters expand to 28 men Sept. 1 to bring the veteran backstop back. With the 52-68 Nationals focused on developing younger players at this stage of the season, Tres Barrera and Riley Adams could continue to share most of the work behind the dish even after Avila returns to the mix.
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Avila (COVID-19, calf) returned to the Nationals on Tuesday but will remain on the 10-day injured list for the time being as he continues to recover from bilateral calf strains, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. Avila has been away from the team since July 29 as a result of COVID-19 protocols. He's gained clearance to rejoin the Nationals, though he still has a ways to go in working his way back from the calf issue. The veteran backstop remains without a clear recovery timeline, so it appears that a late-August activation could be a best-case scenario at this point.
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