In Nationals news today, Washington Nationals outfield Bryce Harper was benched by manager Matt Williams on Saturday due to a lack of effort on the field.
According to ESPN.com, "Manager Matt Williams apparently was not happy with Harper's effort running to first base during a groundout in the sixth inning. He replaced Harper with Kevin Frandsen."
Williams confirmed this when reached for comment: "Lack of hustle. That's why he came out of the game,'' Williams stated in the ESPN.com article. "He and I made an agreement, this team made an agreement, that when we play the game, that we hustle at all times.''
Bryce Harper was quick to back his manager's decision after the game.
"I respect what he did," Harper stated. "That's part of the game."
Bryce Harper is recovering from a quad injury which caused him to miss a few games. However, neither Harper nor general manager Mike Rizzo were looking to that as an excuse.
"I unequivocally support the manager's decision 100 percent," Rizzo stated to the Washington Post -- meaning this story in Nationals news could become a non-story as soon as the day is over.
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