Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper Tweets Hope for Return

Monday morning, June 10, Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper visited knee specialist Doctor James Andrews to get a second opinion on his swollen left knee. The sophomore sensation has been out since May 27 after smashing into the outfield wall while chasing down a fly ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While not much more is known following his visit, Harper seemed pretty confident on Twitter:

All good! #FinishIt
— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) June 10, 2013

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters Monday afternoon that the organization was not “worried” that the examination would reveal structural damage. Prior to seeing Dr. Andrews, Harper was diagnosed with bursitis in his knee.

No matter the injury, the Nationals need to get Harper back on the field and fast.

There is not another player on the Nationals team that can provide the spark that Harper can. Despite being out since late May, he still leads the team in home runs with 12 and is tied for fifth on the team with seven doubles. Defensively, Harper has been strong with a fielding percentage of 97.6.

Aside from the numbers game, very few players can create the excitement and boost team moral like Harper can. The intensity that he brings to each and every play reminds you of a little leaguer that simply loves to play the game of baseball. That type of mentality and attitude is contagious and will only help the Nationals win ballgames.

With the recent return of Jayson Werth, the Nationals need Harper to complete their outfield and their lineup. With the exception of Danny Espinosa, the opening day lineup will be back in place and the Nationals will finally be able to start focusing on just winning games instead of how to keep guys healthy.

In terms of the MLB All-Star voting, Harper has not lost much ground to Atlanta Braves outfielder Justin Upton. Even though Harper has been out since May 27, he is still second in voting with over 1.6 million votes.

Harper is currently set to return this Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. While the Nationals are planning on taking his return to action cautiously, Harper’s return to the field soon is pivotal if they want to right the ship and put themselves in good position for the second half of the season before the All-Star break.