Just over two months ago, CJ Abrams played in the MLB All-Star Game. Now, hes headed to the minors but his play had nothing to do Diosmerky Taveras Jersey with the decision. The Nationals shockingly sent down their star shortstop with roughly a week to go in the regular season after Abrams reportedly spent the entire night at a casino near Chicago and left just hours before the Nationals faced the Cubs in a 1 p.m. game Friday, . I just want it to be known it wasnt performance-based, Washington manager Dave Martinez told reporters, . Its an internal i sue. Im not going to give specifics. Martinez added that Abrams who went 0-for-3 while striking out and walking during the Nationals game Friday will report to the organizations facility in West Palm Beach, Florida and wont play in the majors again this season. Abrams has emerged as a centerpiece for the rebuilding Nationals in recent years, making his demotion a bizarre development. Abrams hit.246/.314/.433 with 20 home runs and 31 stolen bases for Washington this season but has struggled in the second half. CJ Abrams was sent to the minor leagues on Saturday. Getty Images The 23-year-old has batted just .203 with five long balls in 49 games since the All-Star break, although he had been hot over the past two weeks, hitting .324 with two home runs and three stolen bases. In the first half, Abrams hit .268 with 15 homers. Explore More Washington Nationals CJ Abrams steals third base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Chicago. AP Washington acquired Abrams, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, as part of the ma sive package that sent Juan Soto to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline. Abrams established himself as the shortstop of the future in the nations capital in 2023, when he hit 18 home runs and stole 47 bags while hitting .245/.300/.412 in his first full big league season. Kevin Herget Jersey