According to beat writer Bill Ladson of MLB.com, Nationals outfield prospect Bryce Harper was pulled from a game Thursday at Double-A Harrisburg after injuring his hamstring while running the bases.
Harper had to be carried off the field by trainers, but early indications point to the injury being rather minor. He’ll be reevaluated Friday morning.
The 18-year-old phenom has posted an uninspiring .254/.324/.397 batting line with three home runs and seven doubles in 143 plate appearances since jumping to the Double-A level back in early July. He had a sparkling .318/.423/.554 slash line with 14 home runs and 17 doubles over 305 plate appearances at Single-A Hagerstown earlier this year.
Most prospect-ranking services list Harper as the most promising young talent in baseball.
UPDATE, 11:03pm: Harper has officially been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain.
UPDATE, 11:35pm: According to Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington, Harper will be shut down for the rest of the season if he doesn’t show improvement within the next few days. The minor league schedule only goes another two weeks, and the Nats aren’t going to let him back on the field at less than 100 percent.
