Bryce Harper out of lineup for Nationals with hamstring injury

Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals’ starting lineup on Friday night due to a left hamstring injury he suffered on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Harper left the game after hurting the hamstring attempting to throw out a runner in the sixth inning, and was listed as day-to-day following the game.

While missing the National League’s leader in walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage for any period of time is rough, the Nationals appear to have caught a break with Harper as the injury initially appeared far more serious. Harper missed over a month with knee troubles in 2013, and played through a knee injury for much of the 2014 campaign. It appears, however, that he’ll be back in the lineup either sometime this weekend or next week if all goes to plan.

The Nationals are already reportedly looking to add outfield depth with Jayson Werth on the shelf, and if Harper’s injury leaves him out for an extended period of time, the team’s already thin bench could force Mike Rizzo to move much quicker than he anticipated in bringing in reinforcements.