Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper lays on the ground in pain after suffering an apparent knee injury Thursday vs. the Tampa Bay Rays (Twitter/masnNationals)
The Washington Nationals received a major scare Thursday night when 22-year-old superstar Bryce Harper suffered a left leg injury against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Harper fielded a single by Asdrubal Cabrera in the top of the sixth, and when he came up to make a throw to the plate, he slipped and his leg buckled under him. Here’s a look at the play:
Harper immediately went down in pain, holding his left knee and hamstring area, and the Nats faithful held their collective breath. Fortunately, Washington manager Matt Williams provided an encouraging update after the game, confirming the injury isn’t to Harper’s knee:
Harper is a legitimate MVP candidate. Coming into Thursday night, he led the NL in slugging percentage (.726), OPS (1.204), walks (54) and wins above replacement (5.2). He also has a career-high 22 home runs.
It’s a good thing Harper’s injury doesn’t sound serious. Losing him for an extended period time would be a blow not only to the second-place Nationals, but to baseball fans in general. The youngest is one of the most entertaining, must-watch players in the sport.