Bryce Harper playing through shoulder injury for last two months
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper’s production has declined each month this season, and now we have an explanation.
Early this season Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper looked the part of reigning National League MVP, with 10 home runs, 26 RBI and a 1.046 OPS over his first 117 plate appearances. His production has fallen since then, though, with OPS marks of .785 (May), .801 (June), .621 (July) and .544 (August) that clearly show something isn’t right.
Harper has been out of the Nationals’ lineup since leaving last Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants with a stiff neck. Manager Dusty Baker has conveyed hope Harper will avoid a disabled list stint, but now the light has been shed on what has been plaguing the star outfielder.
According to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, Harper has been playing with a right shoulder issue for the last two months. Not surprisingly, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has denied the report of a shoulder issue, saying “Tom Verducci is wrong.” But Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post has corroborated Verducci, with her own report citing a combination of neck and shoulder trouble for Harper.
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Verducci and Jones have both reported about Harper receiving treatment for his injuries. That treatment has apparently included cupping, which has entered the spotlight during the Rio Olympics due to the marks on swimmer Michael Phelps’ back.
It’s not a reach to suggest Harper is dealing with both neck and shoulder issues, and that they’re related. Rizzo’s pointed denial suggests some naivety on a simple premise-pure proximity on the body. A desire to protect Harper from scrutiny can be commended, but vehemently contradicting credible media reports is a bad look.
The Nationals would like to have Harper available, but with a comfortable lead in the National League East entering Friday (7.5 games), there’s no need to rush him back. Having Harper as close to full strength as possible in October has to be the top priority right now, even if questions about his neck and shoulder may linger right up until then.