Eaton believes the time off he needed while recovering from ACL surgery also allowed him to heal up some nagging injuries and issues that had been building up throughout his career, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old has also adopted a new pre-game stretching routine, and Eaton feels the overall impact of the rest and reset will be to extend his career. "Sometimes you can get away with a lot with your body, especially being young," Eaton said Thursday. "I think this is going to give me longevity. Taking a step back, hopefully to be able to take a step forward. Taking a year off with my body and being able to put my body in a better position day in and day out, I think could be huge for me going forward." Eaton had averaged nearly 700 plate appearances in the two seasons prior to blowing out his knee in April last year, so durability shouldn't be a concern in 2018 as he gets ready for what should be his first full season with the Nats. Given his career .358 OBP and spot at the top of a dangerous lineup, he could also be headed for his first career season with 100 or more runs.