Nationals hope Rendon stays red-hot after rare day off

Dusty Baker likes to plan days off for his regulars well in advance, giving them plenty of time to prepare. So there was nothing unusual about Baker's conversation with Anthony Rendon at the start of the week, during which the Nationals manager told his third baseman he'd be getting Saturday night off.

"I told him Monday or Tuesday. I told him he'd be off Saturday," Baker said. "So I said: 'Give me all you've got until your day off on Saturday.' And he did."

Did he ever. Rendon has hit .385 since that conversation, with a .467 on-base percentage and .692 slugging percentage, continuing his recent, long-awaited upswing after a difficult first month and a half to the season.

The only problem: Baker now found himself in an awkward position, questioning whether he should keep his promise of a day off for Rendon.

"He's looking good. He's looking real good," the manager said. "And I hate to give a guy a day off when they're getting hits and starting to look good. But you can't tell him: 'Give me all you've got until Saturday,' and then just because you're looking good: 'Well, give me some more.'"

So it is that Rendon is out of the Nationals lineup tonight as planned, despite his hot streak. It's only the third time he's been on the bench this season, the first time in exactly one month (his last came on April 28 against the Phillies).

"It's a much-needed day off," Baker said.

Stephen Drew is getting the start at third base in Rendon's place, only the veteran's fourth career start at the hot corner, with three of them coming this year.

The difference in Rendon's production from the season's first six weeks to the last two weeks has been striking. On May 17, he was sporting a .227 batting average, .627 OPS and only six RBIs.

Then Baker flip-flopped Rendon and Jayson Werth in his batting order, dropping Rendon from the No. 2 spot to the No. 6 spot, and everything started to click. Since that move, Rendon is hitting .405 with eight RBIs and a 1.149 OPS that ranks third in the National League over this span.

What's behind the sudden surge? Is it the move down in the lineup? Is it simply luck turning for a guy who was hitting the ball as hard as almost anybody in the majors but had little to show for it earlier in the season? Or has Rendon made a tweak to his swing?

"I think it's a combination," Baker said. "He's kind of been our hard-luck guy."

Whatever it was, the Nationals just hope now Rendon doesn't lose it after his day off.