Nationals Demote All-Star CJ Abrams to Minors

Washington Nationals All-Star shortstop C.J. Abrams was demoted to the minor leagues after reportedly spending the night at a Chicago casino before a game against the Cubs. Abrams was at Bally's Casino until 8 a.m., just hours before the 1 p.m. game, where he went 0-3 with a strikeout. Despite his struggles in the second half of the season, manager Dave Martinez emphasized that the demotion was not performance-related and cited an 'internal issue.' Abrams, who was a key player in the Juan Soto trade and had a strong first half with 15 home runs, has seen his batting average drop to .203 since then. The decision means he will spend the rest of the season in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the minor league season has concluded. While the demotion will cost him part of his salary, it will not affect his Major League service time.