José Tena
Breakdown
Performance
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May 26, 2026
On bench again Tuesday
Tena is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians.
Analysis
The left-handed-hitting Tena will hit the bench for the sixth time in seven games, this time taking a seat against Guardians lefty Joey Cantillo. Two of Tena's recent absences came against right-handed pitchers, perhaps signaling that the 25-year-old doesn't have a firm grip on a strong-side platoon role. The Nationals may be more inclined to give a look at Curtis Mead as an everyday player at third base; though he's done most of his damage against lefties this season, Mead started against a right-hander (Tanner Bibee) in Monday's 10-2 win over Cleveland and went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs.
May 24, 2026
Riding pine Sunday
Tena is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Atlanta.
Analysis
Tena will head to the bench for the second time in the series, this time against a left-handed starter (Martin Perez) after he wasn't part of the lineup in Friday's matchup with right-hander Bryce Elder. Curtis Mead will cover third base Sunday, but Tena will be primarily competing with Jorbit Vivas for playing time at the position versus right-handed pitching.