Martinez ready to try Robles at leadoff, Turner batting third

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The casual observer should be awfully careful reading too much into a team's lineup during the early days of spring training. With many veterans resting and those who do play often batting high in the order so they can get a couple of at-bats and get out of there, there isn't a whole lot worth interpreting.

That said, don't be surprised at all if you see Trea Turner batting third sometime in the next week or so. It doesn't mean he's going to bat third for the Nationals come opening day. But it does mean Davey Martinez is seriously considering it.

"This is something that we're going to kind of mess around with early and see where we're at," the manager said. "I just love the way he hits. But I also like him and (Adam) Eaton, the way they work together 1-2."

Turner and Eaton made for a dynamic 1-2 punch atop the Nationals lineup last season, and there's no denying their contributions to the club's first World Series title. But with Anthony Rendon gone, somebody needs to bat third in front of Juan Soto this year. And though there are multiple options - Howie Kendrick, Starlin Castro, Ryan Zimmerman (to name a few) - Turner most definitely is in the mix.

Turner even approached Martinez this morning on one of the practice fields outside FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and inquired about it, saying he's ready to give it a shot. So look for it to happen sometime soon, with Grapefruit League play set to commence Saturday night.

But also keep in mind the ultimate decision on whether to bat Turner third or not will depend in large part on whether the Nationals believe Victor Robles is ready to bat leadoff.

Martinez views the explosive 22-year-old as a strong candidate to hit atop the order, based on his power-speed combo and ability to reach base at nearly a .400 clip during his minor league career.

"I think up at the top, he can make things happen, make things go if he gets on base," Martinez said. "Obviously the biggest thing for him is swinging at balls in the strike zone and taking his walks. If that's something that he can do, he can make things happen."

Robles had a solid rookie season - .255 batting average, .326 on-base percentage, 33 doubles, 17 homers, 28 steals - that may have taken a back seat to the first-year performances by Soto, Rendon and Bryce Harper but wasn't underappreciated by the Nationals themselves.

There is still room for growth, though, especially in the area of plate discipline. Robles' 140-to-35 strikeout-to-walk ratio left plenty to be desired. The coaching staff is preaching two key notions this spring: Aggressiveness in the strike zone early in the count, then patience out of the zone with two strikes.

"We'll try it early and see how it works out and go from there," Martinez said. "But I think this year he's going to be a lot better at the plate than he was last year. I mean, he learned a lot last year. But we'll see what happens."

The Nationals lineup could turn into an ever-changing entity, especially if Martinez mixes and matches his infielders on a daily basis because of lefty-righty matchups and the desire to keep veterans Kendrick, Zimmerman and Asdrúbal Cabrera healthy for the long haul. But if things go as he hopes, a 1-through-4 of Robles, Eaton, Turner and Soto appears to be the manager's preferred alignment.

"I think that's pretty dynamic," Martinez said. "But we've got tons of time. We've got a lot of options. You may see Howie hit third. You may see Starlin hit third. We've got a lot of different things. And by opening day, we'll have it all sorted out and ready to go."