The Nationals optioned Ortiz to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
Ortiz was part of the haul the Nationals received from the Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore trade over the winter. The 24-year-old Ortiz will have to wait to make his MLB debut. He slashed .257/.356/.479 with 25 home runs, 89 RBI and 85 runs scored across 130 games at Double-A and Triple-A last season but struggled during spring training, hitting .136 with a .478 OPS across 27 trips to the plate.
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Nationals' Abimelec Ortiz: Shipped to Washington
Rotowire
The Rangers traded Ortiz, Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario (elbow), Devin Fitz-Gerald (shoulder) and Yeremy Cabrera to the Nationals on Thursday in exchange for MacKenzie Gore, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Ortiz split time between Double-A and Triple-A last year, slashing .257/.356/.479 with 25 homers, 89 RBI and 85 runs scored between the two levels. The 23-year-old first baseman was awarded a 40-man roster spot in November and will now presumably compete with Andres Chaparro for the starting job in Washington.
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Rangers' Abimelec Ortiz: Power, Ks at Triple-A
Rotowire
Ortiz is slashing .269/.370/.538 with six home runs and a 28.3 percent strikeout rate in 23 games for Triple-A Round Rock.
The lefty slugger's production has been 20 percent better than the average Pacific Coast League hitter in his first taste of the highest level of the minors. Ortiz, 23, repeated Double-A this year and slashed .247/.343/.444 with 16 home runs and a 22.3 percent strikeout rate in 89 games for Frisco before getting promoted to the Express on Aug. 5. He has started seven games in right field and 15 games at first base since getting to Triple-A. Texas will need to add Ortiz to the 40-man roster this offseason or leave him exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
