WASHINGTON -- Nationals manager Dave Martinez has decided to begin the season with Adam Eaton leading off and Trea Turner batting second in a lineup he hopes will have more consistent roles than last season.

Martinez also plans to slot speed threat Victor Robles in the No. 9 spot behind the pitcher. All three players batted in those roles Monday in Washington's 5-3 exhibition win over the Yankees at Nationals Park.

Although Turner is the more prolific basestealer, Eaton has a better on-base track record. While injuries have limited him to only 477 plate appearances in two seasons with Washington, Eaton has posted a .394 OBP.

"I like the fact that Eaton goes up there and will put up an eight-, nine-, 10-pitch at-bat," Martinez said. "For a pitcher, that's kind of frustrating. And if he can do that to lead off the game ... then all of the sudden you've got to deal with Trea."

The approach means three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will bat one spot earlier than he's been accustomed to on Opening Day. Scherzer said he understands the rationale, considering Robles' skills.

"I think it allows him to really use his strengths, and that's his speed," Scherzer said. "When you have a guy on first who's extremely fast and can really steal bases, when you have to shorten up your timing and vary your holds, it makes it that much more difficult to execute pitches against the big boys."

Eaton has spent the vast majority of his career as a leadoff hitter, including with the Nationals, and is a fan of trying to keep a more predictable batting order.

"You guys all have relationships, right?" he said. "You want consistency in those relationships. When you go home to your significant other, you want to have consistency. It's the same thing here."

Getting to know you
Aníbal Sánchez allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings as he pitched in the home whites at Nationals Park for the first time.

Several times the ballpark's speed gun showed him throwing a "splitter" as a strikeout pitch, only he says he wasn't.

"That's my changeup," Sanchez said. "On the videos, or the people that type the pitch somewhere, they call it a splitter. But it's called my changeup."

Sanchez won't work again until April 2 in the opener of a two-game set against the Phillies and former Nationals slugger Bryce Harper in Washington.

Going short, for how long?
With six off-days between Opening Day and the end of April, Martinez also said he could go with his planned four-man rotation for more than the first week of the season.

"It possibly could be longer, but we'll see how it plays out," Martinez said. "We want to keep our starting four guys [Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Sanchez] in a five-day rotation."

If the Nationals stay on schedule -- always a dodgy proposition with early spring weather -- they wouldn't need a fifth starter until they wrap a three-game set in Philadelphia on April 10.

Staying warm in Florida
Neither outfielders Howie Kendrick (hamstring) nor Michael A. Taylor (knee/hip) were with the team for Monday's exhibition, with no set plans on when either would join the team.

"I don't have a timetable," Martinez said, "but they're definitely getting better and getting ready. We thought the best thing they could do right now is stay down in Florida and get some at-bats, and stay down there in the warm weather until they are ready."

Martinez was hopeful left-hander Tony Sipp, signed earlier this month, would join the Nationals on Tuesday in D.C.

Up next
The Nationals open the season Thursday at home against the Mets at 1:05 p.m. ET with a rematch of the NL's last two Cy Young Award winners. Scherzer (18-7, 2.53 ERA in 2018) won the honor in 2016 and '17, but he was outdone last season by Mets righty Jacob deGrom (10-9, 1.70).