LOOK: Bryce Harper leaves game after being hit in the knee by a pitch

Harper's had a rough few weeks, but this isn't good

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper left Monday night's game against the Phillies after being struck in the knee with a Jeremy Hellickson pitch during the seventh inning.

Here's the sequence in images:

Harper during the pitch. MLBAM

And after. MLBAM

As Mark Zuckerman noted, Harper remained in the game long enough to evade a couple of pickoff attempts. He wasn't running full speed on a lineout, however, and headed to the clubhouse thereafter.

Harper had recently been mired in a slump. Entering Monday, he'd homered two of the previous four games. Nonetheless, Harper had hit just .170/.317/.319 over his previous 60 plate appearances -- that despite recording more walk than strikeouts. The Nationals certainly don't want Harper missing time, and especially not now that he appears to be heating up.

Here's the latest:

Right knee contusion for Harper. Dusty said it stiffened up so they took cautious approach. Will know more tomorrow.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) May 31, 2016

Harper posited could take a day or two. Neither he nor Dusty seemed overly concerned, though both want to wait until tomorrow to know more.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) May 31, 2016

We'll know more tomorrow.