Nationals' Anthony Rendon: Moved up to second in lineup

Rendon is batting second and playing third base Friday against the Reds.

Analysis:

Rendon batted second on nine occasions for the Nationals last season, but former manager Dusty Baker's old-school lineups saw Rendon bat sixth more often than any other spot (73 times). New manager Dave Martinez appears to be favoring on-base percentage at the top, with Adam Eaton leading off and Rendon batting second. The 27-year-old had the best offensive season of his career in 2017, hitting .301/.403/.533 with 25 homers in 147 games. If Friday's lineup is a preview of things to come and Rendon sticks in the second spot, expect a shift from RBI to runs, which won't effect his overall fantasy value much. The more significant effect will be an increase in his total number of plate appearances, which should slightly boost all of his counting stats.