Pederson batted leadoff and went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-4 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Pederson hit leadoff and the move paid immediate dividends, as he hit a home run on the second pitch he saw in the first inning. Brandon Nimmo, who left the game with an ankle injury, had previously been the Rangers' leadoff batter when healthy before batting second Tuesday. Pederson had reached base safely in the first four games of the team's current homestand, and manager Skip Schumaker explained pregame to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that he was trying to get runners on base for Nimmo and "lengthen the lineup." It's unclear if Pederson will continue to hit atop the order.