When he filled out his first lineup card for the season opener yesterday, Dave Martinez had Trea Turner batting sixth, something the Washington Nationals’ rookie manager previously explained he might try.
“He’s a pure hitter,” Martinez told reporters earlier this week, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, when he penciled Turner in batting sixth for the exhibition game in D.C. on Tuesday.
“I like the fact he just goes up there and hits. It’s a good opportunity for him to drive in runs, a good opportunity to create havoc in the middle of the lineup when he gets on.