Daniel Murphy is next Washington Nationals star to ride the pine

6:43 PM ET

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Bryce Harper got the day off because he’d gone stone cold. Today, Daniel Murphy gets the day off because he’s red hot.

“He’s been on base an awful lot,” said Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker of Murphy, whose .394 average entering Thursday was the best in baseball and 33 points higher than the next closest guy. “We have to watch it to keep his legs strong because he’s always in a squat.”

With Cardinals slugger Matt Carpenter on paternity leave, Dusty Baker saw a chance to give Daniel Murphy a night off. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

Murphy, whose stance from the left side features a pronounced crouch, is not in the lineup for Thursday night’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, Stephen Drew — who’s 4-for-6 lifetime against Cards …

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