Manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that Call (foot) will embark on a rehab assignment soon in hopes of returning before the end of the regular season, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
The 29-year-old landed on the injured list in late August due to a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot, and he's now on the cusp of returning to game action. Call has been productive when up with the Nationals this season with a .343/.425/.525 slash line in 30 games, and a healthy finish to the campaign would set him up for a normal offseason heading into 2025.
The Nationals placed Call on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot.
Call was carted off the field in Friday's game against Atlanta after falling to the ground while pursuing a flyball. More tests are needed, but given the nature of the injury, the Nationals could elect to hold Call out for the remainder of the season. It's a brutal blow for the 29-year-old, who was slashing .343/.425/.525 with five stolen bases, nine doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI across 113 plate appearances this season. Dylan Crews is slated to be called up Monday, but in the interim, Drew Millas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take the Call's spot on the 26-man roster for the weekend.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Carted off field
Rotowire
Call fell to the ground pursuing a fly ball during Friday's game against Atlanta and was carted off the field, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
While the specifics of the injury are unknown at this point, it's certainly not a good sign that Call required a cart to exit the field. The right fielder attempted to walk off under his own power but was unable to do so. With Dylan Crews already set to join the big-league roster Monday, Call's injury may have created an immediate opening in the starting nine for the top prospect to fill.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Goes yard again Sunday
Rotowire
Call went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Phillies.
The 29-year-old outfielder has three homers in 99 big-league plate appearances this year, and two of them came in back-to-back games this weekend. Call has cooled down a bit since he reeled off six straight multi-hit performances earlier this month, going just 5-for-25 (.200) since with a 1:6 BB:K, but four of those knocks have gone for extra bases.
Call went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Phillies.
His fourth-inning long ball off Cristopher Sanchez was one of only two hits for the Nationals on the night. Call has been impressive since his late-July promotion and ascension into a starting role following the Lane Thomas trade, slashing .373/.425/.567 over his last 18 games with two homers, three steals, six runs and 12 RBI, but there's nothing in the 29-year-old's track record to suggest he'll keep it up for much longer. Dylan Crews is also slashing .300/.396/.600 over his last 10 games for Triple-A Rochester, and a promotion for the top prospect could bump Call to the bench.
Nationals' Alex Call: Drawing third straight start
Rotowire
Call will start in center field and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Call will pick up his third consecutive start, this time occupying center field after his previous two starts came in right field. He's gone 3-for-5 with a home run, three walks and three RBI in the first two games in Arizona, and Call should have a clear runway to handle a regular role in the outfield so long as he keeps producing at the dish.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Clubs homer in win
Rotowire
Call went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and two walks in Monday's 9-8 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Call got the start in right field following the trades of Jesse Winker and Lane Thomas over the last few days. The outfielder previously went 5-for-16 (.313) over his first seven games of the season, but he was sent down to Triple-A Rochester in early May. He'll have a chance to carve out a starting role, though it's expected Call will have to compete with Travis Blankenhorn -- who is expected to be recalled from Rochester on Tuesday -- for playing time in right field. Top prospect Dylan Crews will also likely be called up at some point in the second half, further crowding the Nationals' outfield.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Gets first shot in right field
Rotowire
Call will start in right field and bat sixth Monday versus the Diamondbacks, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Call will get the first opportunity to replace Lane Thomas in right field after Thomas was traded to the Guardians on Monday. The Nationals had just recalled Call from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday after Jesse Winker was traded to the Mets. Call has produced a .313 average with a double, an RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base over 21 plate appearances with the Nationals this season.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Recalled by Washington
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Call from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday.
Call will take the vacated spot on the 26-man roster left by Jesse Winker, who was traded to the Mets on Saturday. In Triple-A this season, Call is slashing .222/.362/.413 with 13 stolen bases, 11 home runs and 50 RBI over 312 plate appearances.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Sent back to minors
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Call to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
He had an .851 OPS during his seven-game stint with the big club but wasn't going to be playing much with Victor Robles (hamstring) back from the injured list. Call will see action at all three outfield spots while at Rochester.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Recalled from Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Call from Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
Call failed to make the big-league roster out of spring training, but he will rejoin the Nationals after slashing .216/.306/.486 with six homers and 17 RBI across 85 Triple-A plate appearances. He'll provide additional depth to Washington's outfield unit while Joey Gallo (shoulder) is on the injured list.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Call to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
Call was with the Nats for the bulk of last season, but with some veteran outfield additions over the winter, there's no room for him on the Opening Day roster. He should bounce around to all three outfield spots at Rochester.
