Bryce Harper excited to have Jayson Werth back for special day at Fenway

By Josh Land

Nationals

April 13, 2015, 10:48am

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BOSTON - It's safe to say Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is feeling good about friend and teammate Jayson Werth returning to start in left field at Fenway Park today.

"Definitely, we're excited about it. I am," said Harper. "Being able to have him back in the lineup is gonna help us hugely. I'm very excited - I think we all are - to get him back. He's one of our leaders on this team, so we definitely need him and the way he plays and everything he's about."

Werth, who was activated off the 15-day disabled list following his recovery from surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder, will follow Harper in the lineup and bat cleanup.

"I think having him right behind me is going to be great," said Harper. "Hopefully, I'll see a little more pitches definitely with him behind me. We're excited as a team to have him back and having him hit behind me is a lot of fun."

Harper and Werth have switched outfield positions this year. Harper has been leaning on Werth since spring training for tips on playing in right field.

"He's been great," says Harper. "Every day that I can go out there and get some work in with him, I have. Before games, watching video, seeing tendencies out there in the outfield, right field corners and things like that. Playing in two spots mostly his whole career in Philly and D.C. has been huge because he knows those two areas so well. So just trying to get some good reads out there and learn from him as much as I can. There's no better guy to learn from."

Harper had a pretty good debut at historic Fenway Park back in 2012. At just 19, Harper went 3-for-5 with a homer, a double and three RBIs.

"I love this place, I really do," said Harper. "The first I came here and played, I absolutely loved it, loved the fans. When you think of Fenway Park, you think of baseball. It's just an exciting time. I got really excited when I woke up this morning, knowing that I was going to Fenway Park to play baseball. Nothing like a little baseball on a nice day in Boston."