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MASN tv analyst F.P. Santangelo noted throughout tonight's game that something was off with Bryce Harper's stride as he ran around the basepaths in the Washington Nationals' 9-2 win over the Marlins in Miami.
Manager Matt Williams would later confirm that his young outfielder aggravated a lingering quad issue when he stumbled between second and third running out a first inning triple.
After the game, Harper, 21, who went 3 for 4 with two doubles and triple, extending his current hit streak to seven games with his first hit of the night, told reporters that it was just some tightness in his quad that affected his running throughout the game:
Bryce Harper says quad has been tight since Friday but isn't serious. Tripped on his foot running bases. "Feels fine. Ready to go tomorrow."
— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) April 15, 2014
Matt Williams said Harper could even be in the lineup tomorrow. #Nats think he's fine.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) April 15, 2014
With his 3 for 4 night in Marlins Park tonight, Harper improved to 13 for 25 over the seven-game hit streak. His big night at the plate left him with a .348/.412/.522 line over the first 51 plate appearances of his third major league season, in which he's now hit three doubles, a triple and a home run.
Remember when Bryce Harper was "lost" at the plate? He's 13x25 in his last seven games, and now batting .348 on the season.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) April 15, 2014
Matt Williams addressed the quad issue when he spoke to reporters after the Nationals' win.
"He's just got a little tight quad that he's had for four or five days," Williams said. "The slip in between [second] and [third] aggravated it a little bit. I think he's fine. I don't think there was any big issue, but we got him out of there just to make sure he could get some work done tonight and see how he is tomorrow, but I expect him in the lineup tomorrow. I don't think there's a big issue."
• We talked about Harper, the Nationals' big night, Sandy Leon's first big league homer and the movement on Blake Treinen's pitches tonight on the latest edition of Nats Nightly: