Bryce Harper relieved hamstring injury doesn't appear serious

A gale force gust may have blown through the nation's capital late last night when a collective sigh of relief was released upon hearing the term "minor" associated with Bryce Harper's latest injury, a left hamstring strain.

With heavy showers having passed through downtown D.C. about 30 minutes before, Harper slipped on the wet grass in right field while making an aggressive throw to the plate in the top of the sixth inning. His legs buckled beneath him just as he released the ball, sending the Nationals star to the ground immediately where he remained, clutching his left leg, for several minutes.

Harper limped off the field on his own power.

"I'll see how I feel (Friday)," Harper said. "I've never really had any problems with hamstrings or anything like that. I don't think it would've been a problem if I didn't slip. That wet surface played a big part in that. Bummer it happened."

After meeting with the doctor, Harper's fears were calmed down. Harper indicated that he doesn't feel the hamstring injury will require an MRI.

"It's not to that point," he said. "If it still feels pretty terrible (Friday) or the next day, then we'll take that. But we're just gonna see how it feels (Friday), see how it feels the next day and go from there."

If Harper rests in tonight's series opener with the Pirates, it would be the third game he's missed this season. The previous two came the day after Harper was stuck by pitches - a fastball to the middle of his spine on May 30 and a heater to the inside of his left knee last Saturday.

Fluky injuries robbed Harper of 106 games over the past two years. He's remained healthy so far this season and has been arguably the best player in baseball. When the 22-year-old arrived at spring training back in February, he bristled at questions about his health coming into the season.

"It's funny to me because everyone says I'm injury prone," Harper said back then, sitting in the Space Coast Stadium dugout. "That's hilarious to me because I've never blown a hammy or a shoulder or anything like that, knock on wood. But it's more impact stuff. Hitting the wall, blowing the bursa. Sliding into third base on a triple and tearing my tendon. So this year, I'll just play a little smarter. Try to do the things I need to do to help this team win. Still have that edge, still have that fire that I play with and enjoy the game."

Harper's offensive numbers are staggering this year. In his last 37 games dating back to May 6, Harper is batting .419 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. His OPS over that stretch is 1.452.

The Nationals dropped three of four, including both at home, in the season series with the Rays and remain 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East.

At 34-33, Williams preached urgency when asked about his team's focus following Harper's injury.

"It's time to step up," Williams said. "It's time. It's time to step up. Everybody. We look forward to doing that (Friday)."

Yunel Escobar continues his hit parade at the plate. The 32-year-old was 5-for-5 with a double and an RBI in yesterday's loss. No player in Nationals/Expos franchise history had ever accomplished three five-hit games in a season until Escobar did last night, and he did it in just 67 games.

Escobar's batting average rose to .331, fourth-best in the NL and 52 points higher than his career mark.

"It's just the approach he's got," Williams said. "Middle of the diamond. Short swing. Stays on the baseball. Swings at strikes. All of those things combined allow him to have games like that. So he's had a good season. The middle of the diamond is key. He stays inside the baseball and lines it up the middle or the other way."