Call will start in left field and bat ninth Wednesday in Game 5 of the World Series versus the Blue Jays, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is shaking up his batting order a bit in hopes of jumpstarting the team's offense. It's the first start of the World Series for Call, who has gone 4-for-9 with a 2:1 BB:K across six games this postseason.
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Dodgers' Alex Call: Launches homer in loss
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Call went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a second RBI in Tuesday's 9-6 loss to the Phillies.
Call opened the scoring with his solo shot in the second inning and added a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The outfielder has filled a part-time role in September, going 5-for-20 (.250) with a 3:5 BB:K over eight games this month. Overall, he's at a .267/.362/.385 slash line with five homers, 31 RBI, 42 runs scored and two stolen bases over 102 contests between the Dodgers and the Nationals this year.
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Dodgers' Alex Call: Available off bench
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Call (back) is feeling much better and will be available off the bench Friday against Arizona, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Call has been tending to lower back pain, but he appears to be over the injury and will be available off the bench Friday. The 30-year-old has slashed .278/.381/.444 in 43 plate appearances with the Dodgers this season, and he's been filling the short side of a platoon role in left field recently.
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Dodgers' Alex Call: Knocks four hits
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Call went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Rockies.
Call entered Tuesday's game 4-for-23 (.174) since joining the Dodgers, but he doubled that hit total with a big performance. He drilled a solo homer in the second inning, followed by an RBI single and another run scored in the third. He added a double in the fifth before capping off his night with a single in the seventh. Call is now slashing .276/.371/.396 with 17 extra-base hits and 37 runs through 270 plate appearances this season.
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Nationals' Alex Call: On base three times in win
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Call went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Sunday's win over the Twins.
Getting the start in center field in place of Jacob Young (finger) and batting sixth, Call broke the game open in the fifth inning with a bases-loaded single against a drawn-in infield that deflected off the mound and over Minnesota second baseman Brooks Lee. Call has four hits and five RBI in the last two contests, but that big weekend comes on the heels of an 0-for-13 stretch since July 11. Young isn't expected to miss much time, but Call should continue to start in his absence.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Three RBI off bench
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Call went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional RBI and one additional run scored in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Twins.
He was originally set to sit Saturday but entered in the third inning after Jacob Young (finger) exited. Call went on to drive in three runs, highlighted by his third home run of the season in the seventh inning. While the outfielder hasn't shown much power this year (.392 SLG), he's been effective overall, posting a .275 batting average and .372 OBP over 70 games. His counting stats -- nine doubles, three homers, two triples and 24 RBI -- are modest, but his 114 wRC+ entering the contest reflects above-average offensive production.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Ceding starts to Hassell, Lile
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Call is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
When Dylan Crews (oblique) and Jacob Young (shoulder) were placed on the injured list May 21 and 23, respectively, Call appeared to be in good position to move into an everyday role. Instead, Call has continued to serve as the Nationals' fourth outfielder, with prospects Robert Hassell and Daylen Lile getting regular playing time after being called up to replace the injured outfielders. Call will remain on the bench for the sixth time in as many games while the Nationals face off against another right-hander (Corbin Burnes), but he should spell either Hassell or Lile when Washington goes up against lefties.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Playing time trending up
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Call will start in left field and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Giants, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Call will pick up his fourth start in five games, with his outlook for playing time having improved with both Dylan Crews (oblique) and Jacob Young (shoulder) on the injured list. The Nationals called up two of their top outfield prospects in Robert Hassell and Daylen Lile to replace them, but Call should occupy a regular spot in the lineup versus left-handed pitching while still being in the mix against righties, too. The 30-year-old has held his own in matchups with same-handed pitching this season, slashing .254/.393/.373 (122 wRC+) in his 86 plate appearances versus righties.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Filling in for Crews on Thursday
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Call will start in right field and bat seventh in Thursday's game against Atlanta.
Though Call still looks to be the Nationals' fourth outfielder, he's seen fairly steady playing time while manager Dave Martinez continues to dish out occasional days off for Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and Josh Bell. Crews will be the odd man out of the lineup Thursday, allowing Call to pick up his eighth start in 12 games.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Starting Friday after all
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Call is starting in left field and batting sixth against the Marlins on Friday.
Call was initially slated for a day off Friday, but he's been inserted into the Nationals' starting lineup due to Nathaniel Lowe (illness) being scratched. Across seven games, Call has gone 8-for-20 with five walks, one stolen base and five RBI.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Swipes first bag in win
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Call went 2-for-2 with a walk, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Call delivered RBI singles in the first and fourth innings and also swiped his first bag of the season. The 30-year-old has gone 4-for-8 in three starts to open the year and is seeing inconsistent playing time as Washington's No. 4 outfielder.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Set for bench role
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Call is expected to begin the season as the Nationals' fourth outfielder, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
The 30-year-old may not see much work however, with Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and James Wood entrenched in the starting lineup and all 25 years of age or younger. Call solidified his spot on the Opening Day roster by batting .333 (13-for-39) this spring with 12 walks against only five strikeouts, but his .231/.332/.364 career slash line in the majors better reflects his lack of fantasy upside should he find himself getting consistent playing time.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Goes yard again Sunday
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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.
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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: Gets first shot in right field
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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: Optioned to Triple-A
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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.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Comfortable at plate in spring
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Call went 1-for-1 with two RBI and a walk in Monday's 11-4 Grapefruit League win over the Cardinals.
There is no way to sugarcoat Call's 2023 numbers, which included a .200/.307/.307 slash line through 439 plate appearances. However, the versatile outfielder has shown some sparks at the plate this spring, slashing .353/.500/1.088 with seven RBI in 17 at-bats. Call will have to continue performing in similar fashion during what remains of spring to ensure a reserve outfield spot on the Opening Day roster.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Hits homer in rare start
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Call went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss against Atlanta.
Call accounted for the first Washington run with his 364-foot solo shot off Max Fried in the third inning. The 28-year-old outfielder has only started five games for the Nationals in September as he splits time in left field with Jake Alu and Blake Rutherford. Call is slashing .199/.306/.307 with eight homers and nine stolen bases over 126 games.
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Nationals' Alex Call: On bench Sunday
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Call is not in the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.
Jacob Young, who was promoted Saturday from Triple-A Rochester, will start in center field and bat ninth. Call has slashed just .204/.306/.307 across 405 plate appearances this season and might be in danger of losing his grip on a regular role in the Nationals' outfield.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Swipes eighth bag
Rotowire
Call went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Rangers.
It was another productive performance for Call from the ninth spot in the batting order. The 28-year-old has hit safely in five straight games since rejoining the big-league roster, going 6-for-16 (.375) over that stretch with two of his five homers and two of his eight steals on the season. Victor Robles (back) doesn't yet have a clear timeline for his return, so Call should continue filling in as the Nationals center fielder coming out of the All-Star break.
