Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper Homers in Rehab Start

by Alex Koma

With a knee on the mend, the Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper has been focusing on some valuable time at the plate during his rehab stint with the Class A Potomac Nationals.

Harper crushed a home run to right field on Wednesday night in his five-inning appearance with the P-Nats, helping the team to a 6-5 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Potomac manager Brian Daubach decided to bat Harper second in the lineup and use him as the team’s designated hitter, rather than in the outfield. And the move appears to have paid off.

“Everything looks normal to me,” Daubach said. “His knee feels good, and now it’s just about getting his timing back and getting more at bats.”

Harper has performed well so far with Potomac, going 1-for-1 with a double and a walk in Tuesday’s game, but the home run even took the coaches by surprise.

“It was a 3-1 changeup and I was thinking maybe he popped it up a little bit, but he’s so strong that those carry out for him,” Daubach said.

Although the homer was the highlight of Harper’s game, his other two at-bats were less eventful; he struck out and lined out to right field to go 1-for-3 on the night.

• Read: Potomac Nationals Offer Summer Giveaways 

“He chased some pitches up that he probably wasn’t happy with, but that happens with not playing,” Daubach said.

P-Nats fans and coaches alike suffered through a scary moment in the fifth inning when Harper fouled a ball off his right foot and hunched over in pain, and although the incident ended his night an inning earlier than expected, the pitch isn’t a cause for concern.

“Unfortunately that happens a lot in baseball,” Daubach said. “It went right off the inside of his foot, and it hurt for a while, but he was scheduled just to go six innings anyhow, so he’ll get some treatment, get some rest, and he’ll be back at it tomorrow.”

Daubach is especially well equipped to handle Harper as he guides him through his rehab process, as he was the slugger’s first professional manager when he used to head the Hagerstown Suns.

“He looks like the old Harp,” Daubach said. “He’s bigger than he was two years ago, stronger, but he looks comfortable.”

Harper’s comfort level is especially impressive considering the extra attention he garners from opposing pitchers.

“These kids that are facing him want to strike him out, they’re pitching him really tough,” Daubach said. “They threw him a lot of breaking balls and they were throwing their best breaking balls to him, so I thought he did a good job of laying off those pitches, and the more he sees, he’ll keep improving.”

The plan is for Harper is to play a full nine innings Thursday to give his knee a real test.

“His knee feels good, and now it’s just about getting his timing back and getting more at bats,” Daubach said.

The P-Nats will conclude their series with the Pelicans on Thursday at 7:05 p.m.