Washington Nationals news & notes: Keibert Ruiz in 2024; Stone Garrett building back up

Notes and quotes from the Nationals’ skipper in Spring Training…

RUIZ’S SPOT:

Keibert Ruiz hit 3rd or 4th in the lineup most nights post-trade deadline last season, but he was all over the middle of the Nationals’ order throughout the 2023 season.

Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez said when he spoke with reporters this past Friday there would be some tinkering with lineups this spring as he tries to find the right balance for his club.

But where will the No. 1 backstop in D.C. hit?

“I’m not afraid to put him back at the top of the order – he’s a switch-hitter – and have guys hit behind him,” Martinez said.

“But we’ll see. He’s going to hit 3-4-5, maybe 6, this spring. We’ll see how it works out.”

He hit sixth in the Grapefruit League opener on Saturday, going 0 for 1 with a K before the catcher was done for the day in what ended up a 7-4 loss to the Astros.

Ruiz struggled at the plate in the first half of the 2023 campaign (.226/.279/.360, 11 doubles, nine HRs in 73 games & 305 PAs before the All-Star Break), but picked it up in the second-half of the season (.300/.342/.467, 13 doubles, nine HRs in 63 G, 257 PAs in the second half).

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Martinez said he saw catcher adjust to the way opposing hitters attacked him and he was impressed with the changes Ruiz made down the stretch.

“He knows they’re going to try to pitch him in,” the manager explained. “Last year that was part of it. Hey, you get the ball middle-in, make sure it’s not in-in, but if it’s strike, in, go ahead and pull the trigger, and he did really well with that. And then there were times where they started pitching him away and throwing offspeed stuff. The offspeed stuff is what we really got to get him not to chase, and if he does, get it up. We’ve been working on it this spring with all of them. If you see breaking balls, just make sure you get it up in the zone.”

Ruiz routinely came through with runners in scoring position last season, going 46 for 126 (.365/.406/.579) with nine of his doubles and six of his home runs on the year coming with RISP. So … will he hit in the middle of the lineup again in 2024?

STONE GARRETT STILL BUILDING:

Stone Garrett suffered a season-ending injury (fractured left fibula) in August of 2023, but he finished the campaign with a .269/.343/.457 line, 17 doubles, nine home runs, 82 Ks, and 26 walks over 89 games and 271 plate appearances, and managed to impress the Nationals’ brass with his work in his first year in the organization.

“He improved greatly, I thought,” GM Mike Rizzo told reporters at the Winter Meetings in December.

“We brought him in there to be — really — my thought was for him to play against left-handed pitching and maybe a defensive replacement in left field, and he took that and ran with it and then [manager] Davey [Martinez] started getting him in there against some right-handed pitching and did well there too. I thought he was on the verge of really becoming an all-around player for us that definitely could be in the plans for the future.”

Garrett rehabbed all winter and came to Spring Training ready to go for 2024, but Martinez said on Day 1 they would try to take it slow with the 28-year-old to make sure he’s 100%.

“We’re going to build him up. I’m hoping he’s going to be ready for Opening Day. He’s done a lot,” Martinez explained.

“We got to check all the boxes with him,” the skipper said.

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

“It’s going to be a progression, but we’re going to push him. He wants to be pushed. He’s been hitting, and he looks really good hitting. And so we’re not going to hold him back.

“He’ll determine when he’s ready to go, and we’ll keep a close eye on him. So every day we’re going to progress and see where he’s at towards the end of [Spring Training.]”

Heading into the first Grapefruit League games, Martinez said last week the club was still taking things slowly with Garrett.

“We’re definitely keeping on eye on him and progressing him, and he’s progressing quite well, but like I said, he’s still got to check some boxes for us. But he’s out there, and he’s going through a lot of different things. We’re trying to limit his baserunning still, right now, so he’s not participating in the baserunning, because he’s emulating other things to do the baserunning stuff. But he’s swinging the bat, he’s doing the live BPs, he’s doing everything that we feel like he’s ready for.”

When will they test Garrett and let him go full-on?

“Once again, I just want to make sure that he’s 100% before we get him out there and really start full going. But he looks good,” Martinez said.

“Look, he worked diligently all winter long to get himself ready. I think he’s in a good spot. I think as of right now, he could be ready for Opening Day, and that’s the way we’re looking at it.”

There are plenty of opportunities in West Palm Beach to get Garrett ABs and build him back up, especially when the minor league camp gets started.

“We’re probably going to ease his way in. Like I said, once the minor leaguers come in and those guys get ready and they start, we can get [Garrett] as many at-bats as we need. We can do a lot of different things. So, right now, I’m looking at what he did today, and he looked good, he’s progressing, I saw him do his outfield work and he looked really good, but as far as getting him in a game, we’ll see how he does in the next few days.

“It’s going to be a while before I really feel comfortable putting him in a game, but we’re definitely progressing in the right direction.”

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