Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game Friday against Cincinnati. Rendon, who is hitting just .133 through his first four major-league contests, has not played in either game of the series despite Washington manager Davey Johnson previously stating the 22-year-old would start every day.
"It's a little more difficult when I'm looking for somebody in the lineup to set the table, and [Rendon] is not in that category," Johnson told reporters Friday. "Nothing against his ability, but I'm trying to create a lineup that can kind of feed off itself."