Bryce Harper update

Nationals number one pick Bryce Harper continues to get his work in after five games at the instructional league from Viera, Florida. Nationals hitting coordinator Rick Schu reports Harper went 1-for-4 Monday with a base hit to right field, a strikeout, a flyout to right field that just missed, and a groundout to the first baseman. Schu recounts Harper's work over the weekend, saying he is showing his talent and learning from each at bat. "Harps has got it a little bit tougher than everybody else because he has had about two and a half months since he has seen live pitching," Schu said. "First day, he saw the ball real good but his timing was a little off (0-2, 2 K's). Friday he smoked a triple off the center field wall and got an opposite field (LF) base knock. He worked a 12-pitch grind walk. The guy just competes. He doesn't get cheated. Saturday, had a little bit of a rough day, faced some pretty good pitching. "Bryce is just a grinder. He is not scared of failure. He is up there very aggressive and confident. "It is hard to believe he is so young because you look at the guy and he is mature beyond his years. He is a specimen." There had been talk about his attitude during his time at Southern Nevada. Schu has seen nothing but a positive and mature baseball player in Harper while in Florida. "From day one he has fit in with his teammates. He is really easy going, joking around with them. Like I said with Justin Upton and Stephen Drew when I was over with Arizona, he is playing the game right. "He is hustling and getting after it. Whether it is conditioning at the end of the day or my extra drills on the field, Bryce is always busting his butt with a good attitude. "He is fitting in really well. He has just got to play. With Bryce being such a high profile guy with the target of being number one. He has got a lot of added pressure on him." "(We are working on) just getting him slowed down a little bit. That will come with maturity, getting some at bats and playing the game."