Washington Nationals star CJ Abrams DEMOTED to minor leagues after all-nighter in Chicago casino day before game against Cubs
- CJ Abrams had an extremely late night before a game against the Cubs
- Nationals manager Dave Martinez said the move was not performance based
Washington Nationals All-Star CJ Abrams has been demoted after reportedly spending the entire night at a casino before a game on Friday.
Abrams and the Nationals played the Cubs starting at 1:00 p.m. local time. Chicago won the game 3-1.
And according to CHGO SportsAbrams was at Bally’s casino in Chicago until 8 a.m.
That decision has apparently been returned to the organization and on Saturday the shortstop was sent back to the minor leagues, as ESPN wrote first.
It’s no surprise that Abrams struggled on the field after his late appearance, finishing 0-3 with one strikeout.
CJ Abrams has been demoted to the minor leagues after pulling an all-nighter for a game
The shortstop pitched in 15 games in the first half of the season, earning an All-Star nomination
He will now be sent to West Palm Beach, Florida, where the team’s minor league complex is located.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez did not elaborate on the specific reason for Abrams’ demotion, but acknowledged it had nothing to do with his play.
“I just want to make it clear that it was not performance based,” he told reporters on Saturday.
“It’s an internal matter. I’m not going to give details.”
Abrams, 23, was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time after hitting 15 home runs in the first 89 games of the season.
However, he has only hit five since then and has a batting average of just .203 in the second half of the year.