Bryce Harper Injury Update: Nationals' Outfielder Has Inflammation In Hip

According to reports from Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, NY this afternoon, 20-year-old Washington Nationals' 2010 no.1 overall pick, outfielder Bryce Harper, went to the doctor today and no structural damage was found in the slugger's left hip, which had been "barking" and had kept him out of several games recently.

Nats' skipper Davey Johnson had previously stated that team doctors thought it might be bursitis causing Harper pain in his hip which got so bad recently it caused him to fall to the ground during a BP session on Saturday night in Miami. Harper was scratched from that game after talking his way into the lineup on Friday after he'd sat out of the finale of the Nationals' three-game set with the Phillies in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night.

The reports today say that Harper will likely be able to return to the field in a couple days and then play out the rest of the 2013 campaign without causing any more damage:

Davey says MRI showed no structural damage to Bryce Harper's L hip, only inflammation. Taking medication, will get couple more days off.

— Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) September 9, 2013

Davey says if no evidence of structural damage to hip, no risk of making it worse, no reason Harper can't return in 2 days and finish season

— Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) September 9, 2013

Davey: Bryce Harper's MRI revealed no structural damage in his hip. He'll take anti-inflammatory medication. Wednesday return at earliest.

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) September 9, 2013

Harper will be out today and at least tomorrow. Will depend on how he's feeling after that.

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) September 9, 2013

Harper missed a month of the season with bursitis in his left knee. The second-year major leaguer ran into two walls, one in right field in Atlanta and one in LA while pursuing fly balls and the second time in Dodgers Stadium, did significant damage to the entire left side of his body. Harper has since said he's been playing with pain and hasn't been 100% since he hit the wall in Turner Field in late April. In spite of the injuries, Harper has managed to put up a .273/.377/.504 line with 20 doubles, three triples and 19 HRs in 101 games and 427 plate appearances this season, over which he's been worth +3.4 fWAR.

More from Federal Baseball:

• Nationals' Monday Night Lineup: Bryce Harper Out For Two Games With Hip Inflammation; Nats In NY
• Nationals' 2014 Rotation: Do The Nats Need To Find Another Starter?
• Bryce Harper Injury: Nationals' Slugger Seeing Doctor Today
• Nationals' Starter Tanner Roark Doesn't Believe In Being Tired
• Nationals Beat Marlins, 6-4, Frustrate Davey Johnson...