With Rendon ready to return, will Kieboom return to Fresno?

MILWAUKEE - For the first time in a long time, the Nationals expect to be adding significant players to their active roster today instead of subtracting them.

Anthony Rendon is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list. And unless something unforeseen happened late Monday night or happens over the next few hours, the star third baseman will be activated and be in the Nats' lineup for tonight's game against the Brewers.

It's a major boost to a team ravaged by injuries and sorely in need not only of a big bat in the middle of their lineup but a steadying influence in the field, where things have turned decidedly ugly of late.

As much as the Nationals need Rendon at the plate, they arguably need him more in the field right now. Which brings us to the decision facing Mike Rizzo and the organization today: What's the corresponding move to clear a spot for Rendon to return?

The simple answer would be to send Jake Noll down to Triple-A Fresno for the third time already this young season, because he's an inexperienced corner infielder who will be hard-pressed to get playing time with Rendon back in action.

The more complicated answer would be to send Carter Kieboom down and just go with Wilmer Difo at shortstop until Trea Turner returns from a fractured finger in a couple weeks. And that's the move the Nationals may have no choice but to make right now.

As much as they hoped Kieboom would rise to the occasion in his first stint in the big leagues, the Nats now must be cringing every time they watch the 21-year-old strike out at the plate or misplay a grounder at shortstop. And there have been a lot of both.

After an 0-for-4 showing during Monday's loss, Kieboom is now batting .128 (5-for-39) with two homers, two RBIs, four walks and 16 strikeouts. He had an exciting debut weekend in D.C., but it's been all downhill since then.

The greater concern is at shortstop, where Kieboom on Monday was charged with his fourth error in only 10 games. And that doesn't even include a couple more plays he should've made but didn't.

Kieboom entered Monday with a minus-4 Defensive Runs Saved rating. Only four shortstops (Jean Segura, Tim Beckham, Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario) are worse, and all have played more than twice as many innings in the field as Kieboom has so far.

"The way I've been playing has been unacceptable," the rookie said in no uncertain terms. "I mean, by all means there are all these plays I've missed, or I need to make and I usually do make. There's no excuses as to why they're not being made. It's just the fact of the matter is: That's what's happened, and all I can do is learn from it and better myself going forward."

The Nationals were worried all along Kieboom wasn't defensively ready to play in the big leagues. Those fears have proven warranted.

"I think he's pressing a little bit," manager Davey Martinez said. "He just needs to play the game like he knows he can. Like we know he can. He's just got to slow everything down and take one step at a time."

Martinez pointed out how he himself felt overwhelmed as a 21-year-old rookie outfielder. The game sped up on him, and it took him a while to figure out how to slow things down again.

How, then, does Kieboom accomplish that?

"Just be myself," he said. "I'm going to continue to show up to the field. I'm going to do my infield work. I'm going to do my offensive work. I'm going to be myself.

"What people have seen isn't me as a baseball player, isn't me at all. I can't wait 'til I'm myself again, and I feel like tomorrow's going to be a great day for it. Tomorrow's going to be a great day for it. People will really see who I am as a player and as a teammate and stuff like that. Because what's happening right now is unacceptable."

It truly was a mature answer for a 21-year-old who barely played at Triple-A before getting swooped up to the majors. It's among the reasons why the Nationals believe Kieboom is going to be an important big leaguer for them for a long time.

But that time may not be just yet. It may be time for the kid to return to the farm for some more seasoning.