Ortiz isn't expected to get promoted to the Nationals' big-league roster before at least the All-Star break, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports. Acquired from the Rangers this offseason as part of the MacKenzie Gore trade, Ortiz is tearing up Triple-A right now, hitting safely in 10 straight games with a .381/.438/.952 slash line, seven homers and 23 RBI over that stretch. The Nationals could use some left-handed power on their bench, but they prefer to let the 24-year-old first baseman continue to get regular playing time rather than bringing him up in a reserve role.
Ortiz has hit safely in seven straight games for Triple-A Rochester, batting .333 (10-for-30) with seven home runs and 20 RBI during that stretch. The 24-year-old first baseman is decimating the International League to close out May as he turns things around following a sluggish start to the season. At the end of April, Ortiz carried a .231/.375/.352 slash line with just one homer in 27 games. If he keeps swinging a hot bat, he could slug his way into the Nationals' 1B/DH picture over the summer.
The Nationals optioned Ortiz to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday. Ortiz was part of the haul the Nationals received from the Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore trade over the winter. The 24-year-old Ortiz will have to wait to make his MLB debut. He slashed .257/.356/.479 with 25 home runs, 89 RBI and 85 runs scored across 130 games at Double-A and Triple-A last season but struggled during spring training, hitting .136 with a .478 OPS across 27 trips to the plate.