Sources: Nats demote All-Star CJ Abrams after sleepless night

The Washington Nationals have demoted All-Star shortstop C.J. Abrams to the minor leagues after he stayed out all night at a Chicago-area casino, leaving just hours before a Friday game against the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

Abrams, 23, started Friday’s game, which began at 1 p.m. CT, and went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout. He was notified of his demotion Friday night, sources said. He will be sent to West Palm Beach, home of the Nationals’ minor league complex.

Since Abrams spent the entire season with Washington, the demotion will have no impact on his service time. Players get a full year of service time with 172 days on the major league roster, and Abrams has already surpassed that threshold.

Abrams could, however, file a complaint with the Major League Baseball Players Association for compensation if he believes the demotion is unfair. He would lose about $30,000 of his $752,000 salary for missing the final week of the season. Abrams will be eligible for arbitration this winter, entering the system for the first of four times as a Super 2.

Acquired as one of the centerpieces of the Juan Soto trade two years ago, Abrams parlayed a stellar first half of the season into an All-Star selection, hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases over the Nationals’ first 89 games. He struggled significantly in the second half of the season, hitting .203/.260/.326, and his defense was a weakness throughout the season.

However, the Nationals had no plans to send him to the minor leagues until learning of his stay at the casino, which was first reported Friday by CHGO.

“I just want to make it clear that this is not a performance issue,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday. “This is an internal issue. I’m not going to get into specifics.”