Manager Dave Martinez indicated Wednesday that Castro is the most likely candidate to open the season as the Nationals' No. 3 hitter, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Early in spring training, Martinez was open to Trea Turner potentially filling the opening in the three hole that was created by Anthony Rendon bolting for the Angels this winter, but the skipper prefers to keep the tandem of Turner and Adam Eaton intact atop the order. As a result, Castro has seemingly emerged as the top option to bat third, and if that arrangement holds for the balance of the season, it would likely provide a significant boost to his fantasy outlook. After amassing only 154 combined runs and RBI across nearly 700 plate appearances as the centerpiece of a lowly Marlins lineup in 2019, Castro would have a good opportunity to blow past that total while batting behind two speedy, high-on-base hitters and in front of one of the game's premier power hitters in Juan Soto.