During his college days at Rice, patience was one of Anthony Rendon's greatest attributes as he once drew 80 walks in a season. But the anxiousness the Nationals third baseman displayed in the first four games of his major-league career last week resulted in the rookie chasing bad pitches and failing to draw a walk in his first 15 plate appearances.
Manager Davey Johnson then provided Rendon a two-game break to help recapture his approach at the plate before inserting him back into the lineup Saturday. Since then, the results have been encouraging for Rendon as he's walked three times over his past two games, including twice Sunday.
"You're just staying more relaxed," he told The Washington Post about his quick turnaround. "You're around your element a little bit more. You're used to your surroundings. That's the way baseball is. You just got to get used to everything."