Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams Sent to Minors After Alleged Chicago Casino All-Nighter

Posted on: September 22, 2024, 07:02h. 

Last updated on: September 23, 2024, 10:44h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Washington Nationals player CJ Abrams was demoted to the minor leagues after he reportedly violated curfew when spending the night at Bally’s Casino Chicago last week.

CJ Abrams
CJ Abrams, pictured above, was demoted to the minors after spending the night at a casino. (Image: MLB)

The All-Star 23-year-old shortstop was at the Illinois gaming property from Thursday night until 8 a.m. Friday, according to USA Today.

That’s a violation of the MLB team’s rules. At 1 p.m. on Friday, the Nationals played the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Apparently short on sleep, Abrams went 0-for-3 during the game. He had a walk and a strikeout.

News of the demotion initially was reported by CHGO’s Cody Delmendo.

On Saturday, Abrams was ordered to spend the remainder of the season with the Rochester Red Wings, a Nationals Triple-A affiliate team.

Loses Salary

The move to the minors will result in Abrams losing $30K of a $752K salary, according to ESPN. The Nationals will only play for about another week in the current season.

Since Rochester ends its season this weekend, Abrams officially will report to the Nationals’ minor league facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., USA Today reported.

Called Internal Issue

“We’re all aware of the report, but beyond that, it’s an internal issue that we will keep in the family,” Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo told The Athletic.

Nationals Manager Davey Martinez added in a statement to reporters, “I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based. “I’m going to support CJ. He’s a big part of our Nats family, and he will be. But without getting into any details, this was the right thing to do.”

In his last 49 games, Abrams was batting .203, according to Yahoo Sports. He has five homers and 17 runs batted in. He has had seven errors since August, and has struck out 48 times and walked 10 times.

It’s unknown if Abrams will file a grievance for the demotion, according to MSN.

In 2022, the Nationals acquired Abrams as part of a Juan Soto trade with the Padres.

“Abrams, once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024 after batting .268/.343/.489 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in his first 89 games,” Sports Illustrated reported.