One of the several decisions manager Brian Snitker had to make after Ronald Acuña Jr went down with a torn ACL was who was going to lead-off for his lineup. Acuña represented arguably the best lead-off hitter in the game with an elite combination of power, patience, and speed and honestly was the easiest decision Snitker had to make on a daily basis. Bat Acuña first and figure out the rest from there.
Joc Pederson was acquired almost immediately after the injury and was a logical choice to fill that role. Pederson had spent several years as the Dodgers lead-off hitter with his combination of power and patience, a couple of those coming with Alex Anthopoulos working in the front office, so the fit made sense.