Scott Boras reveals that Bryce Harper played through 'an issue' last season

Bryce Harper's numbers were down in 2016 for the Nationals

Nationals thunderclap Bryce Harper of course followed up his MVP campaign in 2015 with a rather disappointing 2016. Last season, Harper batted .243/.373/.441 (116 OPS+) with 24 home runs in 147 games. Those are actually good numbers, but they fell short of the standards of a then-23-year-old superstar.

Now, Harper's agent Scott Boras is here with some mitigating evidence ...

Boras says Harper "has the greatest young power I've ever seen". Mentions Harper had bit of an uncomfortable issue he played thru #Nationals

— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 8, 2017

And here's a fuller quote courtesy of Federal Baseball's Patrick Reddington ...

"I think Harp had an issue that he played through with, that he battled with -- that was certainly uncomfortable but still allowed him to play."

Harper was reported to have been dealing with shoulder problems last season, although the team denied that was the case. Late in the season, he also missed some time with a stiff neck, so it's entirely possible he wasn't fully healthy for much of 2016. To Boras' credit, he doesn't solely blame the unnamed issue -- he also cites the difficulties common to almost all young hitters. However, it's not a great leap to think that some kind of malady or maladies may have played a role in Harper's compromised production. If that's the case, then Harper in 2017 may get back to being the superstar he was in 2015.

(h/t: CBS DC)