Even unanimous MVPs need a break once in a while.
Bryce Harper easily took home the NL hardware last season, but he is currently mired in a woeful slump. That skid has caused manager Dusty Baker to sit out his star player for the series finale against the Mets on Wednesday.
With the Nationals clinging to a 1.5-game lead over their NL East rivals in the division, Harper was benched during Wednesday's matinee rubber game in what Baker called a "mental break" for the young superstar.
After a torrid start to the season, Harper has been seeing less pitches to hit lately and even reached base a record seven times without an official at-bat earlier this month against the Cubs, as he was walked six times and hit by a pitch.
Lately, it has been anything but easy for the three-time All-Star. Harper is hitting just .184 (14-for-76) in his last 27 games.
"You can straighten yourself out by watching other hitters by what they are doing or not doing," Baker said, according to MLB.com, in referencing Harper sitting out.
New York opened the series in the nation's capital with a 7-1 drubbing of Washington on Monday, but the Nationals evened the series with a 7-4 victory on Tuesday to restore their lead to 1 1/2 games over their rival.
Harper was 0-for-7 in the series entering Wednesday with an RBI and left three men on base.
The 22-year-old outfielder owns a .246/.432/.536 slash line with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 45 games, along with a league-leading 48 walks.
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