Turner gets rare day off, now prepares for home stretch

PHILADELPHIA - When Trea Turner led off for the Nationals on July 30 in San Francisco, little did he know it would be more than a month before he would get his next day off.

Not that the rookie is complaining about all the playing time he has been getting ever since.

"No, I usually never have (days off), because even when I don't start I usually pinch-hit or pinch-run, at least in Triple-A I did a lot," he said. "I don't know what the case is today, but I don't ever really count on a day off."

Turner may come off the bench at some point during tonight's game against the Phillies, but he won't be in the lineup, ending a streak of 29 consecutive starts, including the last 19 consecutive days.

He's the only member of the Nationals roster to play every day during this stretch, and while he has held up well and performed extremely well throughout, manager Dusty Baker wanted to make sure his young leadoff man got at least a little breather for a change.

"Twenty-nine games in a row, that's a long time," Baker said. "I don't think I have anybody here that's played 29 days in a row."

Since taking over as the Nationals' everyday leadoff hitter - and as the usual center fielder - late last month, Turner has passed every test thrown at him. During this 29-game stretch, he hit .351 with five homers, 27 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and a .912 OPS.

His next challenge: maintaining this through September and perhaps beyond, something he's never had to do in his brief amateur and professional career. What does the 23-year-old believe is the key to passing this test?

"I think it's as much rest and eating as anything," he said. "I think that kind of goes unnoticed. The older you get, the more you pay attention to it. I've watched guys like (Jayson Werth) and (Ryan Zimmerman) and (Daniel Murphy), they all stay on top of their diets. I think that's what helps them play every day. I think I might overlook that sometimes, but to make it through that extra month or two months, I think that's going to be key: getting your rest and making sure you're not eating a bunch of junk food."

Baker mentioned food, as well, when talking about Turner, whose 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame might not hold up through a full season as well as heftier teammates.

"Especially guys that are slight of body," the manager said. "I used to be like that. It's hard for them to keep weight. So I just told Trea I want him to eat breakfast in the morning. And if you go back to sleep, then eat lunch. Eat dinner. Eat soup. Salad. Five-course meal. And dessert."

Turner is trying to take that advice to heart.

"I know I eat pretty bad, but I'm young and can get away with it," he said. "I'm trying to keep an open mind. I want to play every single day. I don't care too much for off-days. But I've never really played this late in the season, and an off-day every now and again might be good for me, even if I don't necessarily want it. And I think the same thing with diet and rest. I can probably go a few nights where I only get five hours of sleep and not worry about it, but that's probably not the best case."