Scherzer to face Yanks, Rendon gets day off thanks to Reynolds

PHOENIX - An unusual quirk in the schedule this week gave the Nationals the option to tweak their rotation, and they've decided to take advantage of it and move Max Scherzer up in the order so he can face the Yankees.

With off-days scheduled for both Monday and Thursday around the two-day interleague series at Nationals Park, the team was afforded the chance to either give everybody extra rest or rearrange things so Scherzer could both stay on turn and face the most productive lineup in baseball.

They chose to send the three-time Cy Young Award winner to the mound against the Yankees on Wednesday night, five days in the wake of his most recent start. Gio Gonzalez also will stay on turn and start Tuesday night's opener against New York.

Tanner Roark will end up with the most extra rest out of the entire group, with seven days of rest between his last start (Thursday at the Diamondbacks) and his next start (Friday vs. the Dodgers).

All of this helps explain in part why Scherzer was pulled after 99 pitches Friday night, when it appeared he wouldn't be starting again for another week. The Nationals and Scherzer knew he would be returning to pitch Wednesday instead, prompting manager Davey Martinez to remove him before he reached the 100-pitch mark.

Scherzer will, however, get more time to recover after the start against the Yankees, thanks to Thursday's off-day. He would next pitch May 22 vs. the Padres.

"He gets an extra day on the back end," Martinez said. "So we're trying to give everybody that, instead of giving them two extra days."

* Anthony Rendon is getting his first night off since returning from the disabled list May 5, not because anything's wrong with the third baseman's previously injured big toe but because he was in need of a breather and now will get two days off in a row before returning Tuesday against the Yankees.

"Which is nice," Martinez said. "I called him this morning and gave him the heads-up. I asked him his thoughts, and he said: 'Yeah, I could use a day.'"

Martinez felt like he could afford to sit Rendon for a night in part because of Saturday's promotion of veteran Mark Reynolds from Triple-A Syracuse. With Reynolds able to start at first base tonight, Matt Adams can start in left field, Howie Kendrick can start at second base and Wilmer Difo can start at third base ... allowing Rendon to rest.

"Think about it: When I woke up this morning, I said: 'We have Mark Reynolds. He can play. I can give Rendon a day off, and not jeopardize us not winning the ballgame,'" Martinez said. "That's nice to know. And to have his leadership and somebody who can come off the bench and hit a home run for you, or play different positions, it's awesome."

Reynolds has played 773 games at third base in his career, 695 at first base and only 12 in the outfield, though the Nationals had him working primarily in left field while at Syracuse because they had a greater need out there at the time. Tonight, he'll be at first base, with Adams in left field. Each guy can play each position, but Martinez suggested this is the alignment they will likely stick with if both players are in the lineup on a given night.

"I'm really curious to see how it looks with both of them in the lineup," the manager said. "It's kind of nice to get a little length in the lineup."