Nats need a late push from Anthony Rendon

It hasn't been the 2015 season Anthony Rendon or the Nationals expected. After a solid rookie year, Rendon broke through in his sophomore campaign, leading the National League in runs scored (111) and tying for fifth in hits (176) while smacking 21 homers with 83 RBIs. Those impressive numbers led to a Silver Slugger Award and a fifth place finish in the NL MVP vote.

So naturally, the prospects of Rendon continuing his maturation into one of the game's best players was a no-brainer. But the 25-year-old's season never had the opportunity to get started.

Rendon sprained his left MCL making a spectacular diving stop on a grounder in his second Grapefruit League game. The injury shelved the young star for the next two months. Seemingly nearing a return to the Nats, Rendon then strained his left oblique in late April.

After missing the first 53 games, Rendon finally made his season debut on June 4, collecting a single in his first at-bat and drilling a double later in the game. Rendon batted .290 with five doubles and five RBIs in his first 18 games, but then suffered another setback, straining his left quad.

Rendon's third injury of the season robbed him of another 25 games. He rejoined the Nationals on July 25, but has not shown his normal effectiveness. Rendon is batting .200 (17-for-85) with one homer, three doubles and two RBIs in 23 games since returning.

"I think he's finding rhythm right now," manager Matt Williams said. "He's trying to find the rhythm of his stroke. He's got some base hits. He hasn't had that crispness to his swing as of yet. That can all start tonight. We hope it does and I know he does, too. Once he gets that feel going, it can be a lot of them on any given day. He's fighting his timing just a touch. He's hitting some balls off the end of the bat, which is not like him."

Rendon is just 2-for-22 (.091) with no walks and six strikeouts over his past six games.

"Last night, he was a little frustrated," Williams said. "He got a pitch to hit in his last at-bat and didn't hit it the way he wanted to. But I would think that last night's last at-bat was a good indication of where he's getting to. He was right on it ... it didn't work out. He hit the fly ball to center field, but his timing was much better on that at-bat. Hopefully, that carries into today and beyond."

With Yunel Escobar out with a hyperextended neck, Rendon makes just his eighth start of the season at third base tonight.

"(Escobar) is a little sore today, to be expected. "(He's a) little tight in the upper trap and neck. So he's not in the starting lineup today. We treated him aggressively and he'll be available off the bench."