Nationals' Robert Hassell: Taking seat against RHP
Rotowire
Hassell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.
Though he had started the previous two matchups against right-handed pitchers, Hassell will sit against White Sox righty Shane Smith in the season finale. Jacob Young will get the nod in center field instead.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Sitting against southpaw
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Hassell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
With southpaw Sean Manaea starting for the Mets, Hassell will retreat to the bench for the series finale. Right-hander Clay Holmes is expected to piggyback Manaea at some point during the contest, so Hassell could be a candidate to replace center fielder Jacob Young once Holmes takes over.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Taking seat Tuesday
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Hassell is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell started the previous two contests but has a .211/.250/.421 slash line through seven games in September and will head to the bench Tuesday. Jacob Young is starting in center field and batting ninth against Miami righty Adam Mazur.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Out of Washington lineup
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Hassell is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.
Hassell had made nine straight starts against right-handed pitching, but he'll take a seat Tuesday as the Marlins send righty Adam Mazur to the bump. Jacob Young is in center field and batting ninth for the Nationals.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Receiving afternoon off
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Hassell is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
Hassell had been included in Washington's lineup in each of the last five games, but the left-handed-hitting rookie will head to the bench for the series finale in New York while the Yankees send southpaw Max Fried to the bump. Jacob Young will cover center field in Hassell's stead.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Smacks first major-league homer
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Hassell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run during Saturday's 8-2 loss to Milwaukee.
In a game that saw the Nationals limited to two hits (a season low), Hassell made his one knock count in the third inning, when he took Brandon Woodruff deep to right field. It was the first major-league homer of Hassell's career, and the 23-year-old has a .547 OPS with one steal and 10 RBI across 81 plate appearances this season. He should see regular playing time in the outfield as long as Dylan Crews (oblique) is sidelined.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Promoted Friday
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Hassell from Triple-A Rochester on Friday.
The 23-year-old will join Washington for his second stint in the majors after Alex Call was traded to the Dodgers on Thursday. Hassell had a .497 OPS over 79 plate appearances during his first taste of the big leagues, but he now appears set to take over as the Nationals' starting right fielder, at least until Dylan Crews (oblique) returns from the IL.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Sitting versus southpaw
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Hassell is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Mets.
The Mets are sending lefty David Peterson to the hill, marking the second straight time the left-handed-hitting Hassell is absent from the lineup against a southpaw. Hassell had started against lefties each of the first five times the Nationals faced a lefty following his promotion from Triple-A Rochester on May 21, but Washington has less of a need for him to face same-handed pitching following the recent return of Jacob Young from the injured list.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: On bench against lefty opener
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Hassell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers.
The rookie outfielder will begin Sunday's contest on the bench while southpaw Jacob Latz opens the contest for the Rangers, but Hassell could be called upon to replace either Alex Call or Jacob Young once Latz leaves the mound. The recent return of Young from the injured list may not cost Hassell a regular spot in the lineup, but he'll need to improve on his .259/.259/.328 slash line to ensure he sticks around in Washington for the long haul.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Drives in three in Arizona
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Hassell went 2-for-5 with three RBI in Friday's win over the Diamondbacks.
The rookie outfielder opened the scoring with a two-RBI single in the top of the first inning, kicking off a wild 9-7 victory. Hassell has begun to find his rhythm against big-league pitching, racking up six hits -- including his first career homer -- and five RBI in the last three games, but an 0:9 BB:K over his first 32 plate appearances with the Nats remains a red flag for his fantasy appeal.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Belts first big-league homer
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Hassell went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI in a 9-0 victory versus the Mariners on Wednesday.
Hassell had been struggling coming into Wednesday, going 0-for-12 with four strikeouts over his previous four games. He broke out of that funk against Seattle, with his biggest highlight being a 416-foot solo homer in the eighth inning for his first MLB long ball. It was also Hassell's first extra-base hit of any sort, and he's gone 5-for-22 (.227 average) with no walks across his first six big-league contests.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Getting call to Washington
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The Nationals are expected to recall Hassell from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
After a slow start to the Triple-A season, Hassell has caught fire to the tune of a .339/.381/.559 slash line with four homers, 14 RBI, eight runs and two steals in 63 plate appearances since the start of May. With Jacob Young (shoulder) and Dylan Crews (back) both dealing with injuries, Hassell will receive his first call-up to the big leagues to provide the Nationals' outfield corps with a healthy body. The 23-year-old is capable of playing all three outfield positions, though he's worked almost exclusively as a center fielder this season.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Catching fire in May
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Hassell went 4-for-5 with a walk, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI for Triple-A Rochester on Friday.
The 23-year-old outfielder limped into May with a .240/.296/.280 slash line, but Hassell has erupted for eight hits in the first two games of the month to add over 150 points to his OPS. Power might never be a consistent part of his game -- Friday's long balls were his first of 2025 -- but he's 7-for-8 on steal attempts through 29 games this season. If an injury opens up a spot in the Nationals' outfield, Hassell is positioning himself to get the first chance at filling it.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Nationals optioned Hassell to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell has had a great Grapefruit League showing, batting .370 with one home run and two stolen bases. However, the 23-year-old has failed to put up even a .650 OPS each of the last two seasons in the minors, so he needs further refinement.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Raking at Double-A
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Hassell was named the Eastern League Player of the Week on Monday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
The 22-year-old outfielder has been on a heater longer than just one week, however. Hassell has nine multi-hit performances in the last 14 games for Double-A Harrisburg, slashing .434/.508/.585 over that stretch with two homers, nine steals in 10 attempts and a 7:12 BB:K. The improvement in his plate discipline is especially noteworthy -- in 106 games for Harrisburg last season he had a 31.9 percent strikeout rate, a number he's cut down to 19.3 percent through 24 contests in 2024. A promotion to Triple-A for Hassell should be coming shortly, but the Nationals might be waiting to bump James Wood up to the majors to open up a starting job in the outfield at Rochester.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Will get another crack at AFL
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Hassell will play in the Arizona Fall League this October, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com report.
The 22-year-old has seen his prospect status dim significantly in 2023 after he stumbled to a combined .221/.324/.321 slash line over 121 games between High-A and Double-A, and Hassell's decline began when he broken the hamate bone in his wrist in last year's AFL. He has shown signs of life at the plate late in the season for Double-A Harrisburg however, slashing .281/.349/.351 in September with a marginally improved 25.4 percent strikeout rate, and a strong showing in Arizona could get his career back on track.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Struggling at Double-A
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Hassell is hitting .227 with three home runs, nine steals and a 32.2 percent strikeout rate in 52 games for Double-A Harrisburg.
Hassell's 27.9 percent hard-hit rate and 14.3 percent soft-hit rate are solid marks for a player who projects as a leadoff or No. 2 hitter. Unfortunately, his plate skills appear to have really backed up since his 2022 run at High-A, before he was included in the package San Diego sent to Washington for Juan Soto.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Reports to Double-A
Rotowire
Hassell (wrist) was reinstated from Double-A Harrisburg's 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Hassell played in 14 rehab games with Single-A Fredericksburg while completing his recovery from a wrist injury that first popped up in early March. The 21-year-old outfielder entered the 2023 campaign as a consensus top-100 prospect after posting a .763 OPS with 11 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 112 games last season between High-A and Double-A.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Starts up rehab assignment
Rotowire
Hassell (wrist), who was placed on Double-A Harrisburg's 7-day injured list April 6, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Fredericksburg on Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell missed much of spring training with a wrist issue that's apparently unrelated to the broken hamate bone he suffered in the Arizona Fall League, but he looks to have just about made a full recovery from the injury. He'll likely appear in at least a couple games with Fredericksburg to get his timing back at the plate before he reports to Harrisburg.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Sidelined with new wrist issue
Rotowire
Hassell is currently sidelined in Nationals camp with a new wrist injury, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports.
It is apparently unrelated to the right hamate bone fracture that Hassell sustained in the 2022 Arizona Fall League. There is no timetable as to when the 21-year-old top outfield prospect might begin appearing in live games. He had been ticketed for Double-A Harrisburg to open the 2023 regular season.
