Bryce Harper may or may not be playing through an injury and here's what we know
Is the Nationals outfielder dealing with a burdensome injury or not?
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1 min read
Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has authored an unusual season.
Harper opened the year on a tear, homering nine times in April and finishing with a 1.121 OPS. Alas his dominance lasted only a little longer than Drew Barrymore's role in Scream, as he topped the .800 OPS mark once over the ensuing three months. An excellent August helped his seasonal numbers rebound, but a terrible September has since washed out those gains.
So, what's the deal? Is Harper simply prone to these large fluctuations -- or is there something else, perhaps an injury, to explain the streakiness? As it so happens, Harper's health has been under question lately. To help explain the situation, let's address some common questions.
Is Harper injured?
Maybe.
What do you mean?
Nobody seems to know for certain. Tom Verducci reported on Tuesday that Harper has been playing through a shoulder injury. Verducci made a compelling case citing sources close to Harper, an offhand comment from manager Dusty Baker, statistics and mechanical observations, and unusual behavior -- like Harper playing so shallow that Baker questioned the decision.
Why is this up for debate then?
Because the Nationals denied Verducci's initial report concerning Harper's shoulder and have since done the same to Verducci's follow-up. Interestingly, Harper has not addressed the situation publicly. He has, however, talked with the Nationals privately. Per the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes, Harper had a closed-door meeting with Washington general manager Mike Rizzo, Baker, and the club's trainer to clear the air. That meeting didn't seem to feature any fresh revelations.
If Harper isn't hurt, what could explain his struggles?
Baker and Rizzo both pointed to mechanical issues. Baker talked about Harper being off-balance at the plate, while Rizzo seemingly alluded to the mental component. Each sounds reasonable enough, and would be accepted if there weren't reports suggesting Harper's issues go beyond those realms.
But really -- is Harper's shoulder hurt?
We don't know for certain. Nobody seems to know. When a reporter as esteemed and plugged-in as Verducci says there's smoke, though, you tend to accept the fire's existence.
