Sources – Nats demote All-Star CJ Abrams after night of drinking

The Washington Nationals demoted All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues after he spent the night at a Chicago-area casino and left just hours before a Friday game against the Chicago Cubs, sources told ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Abrams, 23, was the Nationals' first batter and went 0 for 3 with one walk and one strikeout in Friday's game, which began at 1 p.m. CT.

According to sources, he was informed of the demotion Friday night. He will be sent to West Palm Beach, home of the Nationals' minor league complex.

Because Abrams spent the entire season with Washington, the demotion won't affect his service time. Players earn a full year of service when they're on the major league roster for 172 days, and Abrams has already crossed that threshold.

However, Abrams could file a grievance with the Major League Baseball Players Association to recover his lost salary if he believes the demotion was unfair. He would lose about $30,000 of his $752,000 salary if he misses the final week of the season. Abrams will be arbitration-eligible this winter, entering the system as a Super 2 for the first of four times.

Acquired two years ago as a key player in the Juan Soto trade, Abrams parlayed his breakout first half into an All-Star selection after hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in the Nationals' first 89 games. He struggled significantly in the second half, hitting .203/.260/.326, and his defense was a weakness all season.

Still, the Nationals had no plans to send him to the minor leagues until they learned of his stay at the casino, which CHGO first reported on Friday.

“I just want it to be clear that it was not performance-related,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters on Saturday. “It's an internal matter. I'm not going to give any details.”