Bryce Harper compares struggling Nationals to Triple-A team
The Washington Nationals have been hit by a ton of injuries in 2018. Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy and Adam Eaton have all missed time at the start of the season. The team has struggled without them.
Rendon and Murphy might return soon, though, and no one is happier about that news than outfielder Bryce Harper. The 25-year-old compared the current iteration of the Nationals to the team’s Triple-A affiliate.
Bryce Harper on Rendon and Murphy possibly returning soon: “It’s huge…We’re 13-16 with the Syracuse Sky Chiefs.”
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 1, 2018
Harper said the Nationals are “13-16 with the Syracuse Sky Chiefs.” The team used to be called the Sky Chiefs. They are just the Chiefs now. Still, Harper’s implication remains the same regardless of the team name.
While that’s a harsh assessment, Harper isn’t that far off. The Nationals have used Pedro Severino, Moises Sierra, Wilmer Difo and Brian Goodwin in significant roles this season. Tuesday’s lineup was a little better than usual, but it’s still far off the Nationals’ every day crew.
Bryce Harper is leading off. Max Scherzer is batting 8th. #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/kugp7hRkac
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 1, 2018
In an effort to get things going, Harper will bat leadoff for Tuesday’s game. That might be manager Dave Martinez’s way of preventing teams from walking his slugger. Harper has walked 38 times this season and he’s starting to get sick of it.
Bryce Harper on getting walked so much: “I’m 25 years old, I want to hit”
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) May 1, 2018
It’s far from the first time this season a comment by a Nationals player could be considered a dig at his teammates. Stephen Strasburg may have questioned the effort of the team’s roster following a disappointing loss Friday.
It’s possible injuries are the major factor holding the Nationals back. Once Eaton, Murphy and Rendon return, the Nationals might surge to the top of the National League East again.
They better hope that’s the case. Based on those early quotes, things could turn nasty if the Nationals are still struggling in June.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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