With Rendon down, Drew steps right in and keeps hitting

MIAMI - The loss of Anthony Rendon this week to a neck stinger could have been a significant blow to the Nationals. Then again, any team that can simply plug Stephen Drew into a starting role when someone else goes down is in an awfully good position.

"I like having him around a lot," manager Dusty Baker said. "He can play second, third and short, and first in a pinch. And you don't lose a lot. You don't lose anything on defense. You lose a little range and speed at this point in his career. But he's still swinging. It's great having him back."

Drew has once again proven his worth the last two nights. Since taking over for Rendon midway through Monday night's series opener against the Marlins, he has gone 5-for-8 with two doubles and four RBIs.

It's not an easy job, sitting idle on the bench most of the time and then springing into action with a moment's notice. But after a decade served mostly starting at shortstop and second base in the big leagues, Drew has made the transition to a reserve role the last two seasons with the Nationals look relatively easy.

The key?

"Try not to do too much," he said. "I know that sounds crazy, but really just coming into the game, you can always think about situations and what to do and stay engaged that way. That's kind of how I do it: Stay engaged, see what's going on, see if I can pick up on anything pitching-wise or defense-wise and go from there."

Drew is a mild-mannered, soft-spoken guy to begin with. So perhaps that plays well into this bench role. Whatever the reason, he has taken quite a liking to the job, and has provided the Nationals with the ultimate insurance policy should any one of their starting infielders get hurt or simply need a day off.

After missing considerable time earlier this season with a hamstring injury, Drew has found his groove. He's batting .423 (12-for-28) this month and overall is batting .348 with 12 RBIs in 22 games this year.

Add those numbers to Adam Lind's production - he's also batting .348, with six homers and 26 RBIs in 44 games - and the Nationals have a veteran bench duo that is the envy of just about any other club in the majors.

"To have Stephen and Lind be able to go up there, two of the best hitters in baseball, it's a lot of fun to play with those guys," Bryce Harper said. "Lind is such a good teammate. Drew is the same thing. It's good to see that. We're pulling for him, and I love to see him do well."