lead off

verb

The first batter in the batting order.
“Jones has been the team's lead off hitter for three years.”
The first batter of an inning.
“The lead off hitter for the sixth inning is Jones.”
The short distance that a player stands away from their current base.
The first item in a broadcast schedule.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lead, off.
“The kitchen and the lounge lead off from the hallway.”
“Hu, 79, Xi Jinping's immediate predecessor, was seated to the left of Xi. He was led off the stage of the main auditorium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing by two stewards, a Reuters witness at the congress said.”
To be the first batter of an inning.
“Jones led off the inning with a home run.”
“Jones is leading off an inning for the third time in the game.”
To be the first of any set, especially the first person in a group to speak; to launch or begin something by speaking.