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.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Reinstated from injured list
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Starts up rehab assignment
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Runs on field
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Returns to Nationals
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Close to rejoining team
Rotowire
Avila (COVID-19, calf) could be cleared to rejoin the team during the Nationals' upcoming series in Atlanta but won't be activated from the injured list as he continues to recover from bilateral calf strains, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Avila has been on the injured list since July 3 with the calf injury, and he was later forced to leave the team due to an issue related to COVID-19. It's still not clear if the veteran backstop ever tested positive for the virus, but his quarantine is close to being finished in any scenario. Once he returns to the club, he'll resume participation in baseball activities before likely going on a rehab assignment later in August.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Lands on COVID-19 IL
Rotowire
Avila (calf) was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Avila had been on the 10-day injured list since July 3 due to bilateral calf strains, but he was also one of four Nationals who landed on the COVID-19 IL on Thursday. It's not clear whether the catcher has tested positive for the virus or how his placement on the COVID-19 IL could impact his recovery process.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Not yet running
Rotowire
Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Sunday that Avila (calves) won't have a clear timeline to return to the active roster until he's able to complete a running program, Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com reports.
Up to this point in his recovery from bilateral calf strains, Avila has been able to perform all activities except baserunning. Whenever he gets the green light to start running, he'll likely need at least a few days before he's cleared to sprint at 100 percent speed around the bases. After that, Avila will likely be sent out on a brief rehab assignment before being reinstated from the 10-day injured list.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Resumes catching
Rotowire
Avila (calves) was able to catch bullpen sessions Tuesday, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.
Avila continues to incorporate more baseball activities into his rehab regimen as he works his way back from calf strains in both of his legs. He appears to be further along in his recovery than Yan Gomes (oblique), who has yet to resume swinging a bat since landing on the injured list. Tres Barrera will serve as Washington's No. 1 catcher until either Avila or Gomes makes it back from the IL.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Resumes baseball activities
Rotowire
Avila (calf) was cleared to resume baseball activities Friday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
Avila has been able to participate in batting practice and running recently as he continues to recover from bilateral calf strains. It's not yet clear whether he could require a rehab assignment prior to rejoining the Nationals, but he appears to be trending in the right direction in his rehab.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Avila was placed on the 10-day injured list with bilateral calf strains Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Avila had been on the bench in four of the last five games, but he's apparently dealing with a calf injury. The Nationals haven't yet given a timetable for the catcher's return, but he'll be on the injured list at least through the All-Star break. Tres Barrera was recalled from Triple-A Rochester as part of a corresponding move.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Starting at second base
Rotowire
Avila will start at second base and bat seventh Thursday against the Dodgers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Trea Turner (finger) and Jordy Mercer (quadriceps) are unavailable Thursday, leading Avila to receive his first big-league start at the keystone while manager Dave Martinez works with a makeshift infield. The Nationals will likely make a roster move if Turner and Mercer remain sidelined beyond Thursday, so this should just be a spot start at second base for Avila.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Settles back into No. 2 role
Rotowire
Avila is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Avila had started in four straight games to close out the weekend, but he'll be back on the bench for the second contest in a row now that Yan Gomes has shaken off his hamstring issue. While Gomes was sidelined for the four-game stretch, Avila went 3-for-12 with a double, three walks, a run and an RBI.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Draws fourth straight start
Rotowire
Avila will start at catcher and bat sixth Sunday against the Phillies.
Avila will stick in the lineup for a fourth straight game while Yan Gomes (hamstring) manages an injury. Manager Dave Martinez expressed confidence that Gomes would be ready to resume catching duties Tuesday in Tampa Bay following Monday's team off day, so Avila's run of regular starts could come to an end following Sunday's contest.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: On base three times Sunday
Rotowire
Avila went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's win over the Orioles.
The veteran catcher has gone just 2-for-21 over his prior seven starts dating back to April 24, as he continues to see little action behind Yan Gomes. On the season, Avila carries a .182/.357/.364 slash line with five of his six hits (four doubles and a triple) going for extra bases.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Supplies only offense in win
Rotowire
Avila went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Cardinals.
The veteran catcher came into Wednesday having gone 0-for-6 to begin his tenure with the Nats, but Avila was the only Washington hitter to have much success against Carlos Martinez and drove in Josh Bell in the second inning with his first two-bagger. Yan Gomes remains the starter behind the plate, but Avila could earn more playing time if he keeps making the most of his opportunities.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Alex Avila: Returns from COVID IL
Rotowire
Avila was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.
The 33-year-old missed the first week of the season due to contract tracing from Washington's COVID-19 outbreak, but he's now been cleared to join the team. Avila remains poised to operate as the backup to starter Yan Gomes behind the plate this season.
