Bryce Harper could be adding a new defensive position to his repertoire.
Since making his major league debut in 2012, Harper has only appeared defensively in the outfield. That may soon be changing. Prior to Monday’s game between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, Harper went through some defensive drills at first base.
While we shouldn’t expect to see Harper at first base on a regular basis, it could happen as a one-off. According to manager Dave Martinez, Harper is “not bad” at the position.
Despite a 106 RealFeel in DC, Bryce Harper was on the field early for extra defensive work – at first base. #Nats manager Davey Martinez said he’d consider using Harper there in a pinch. "I don't know if he'll ever start a game there," said Martinez, "but he's actually not bad."
— Eddie Matz (@ESPNeddiematz) July 2, 2018
Matt Adams is currently on the disabled list with a broken index finger. Ryan Zimmerman is on the disabled list also, with a back injury. In their absence, Mark Reynolds and Daniel Murphy have been manning first base. Washington isn’t short on options. However, seeing Harper at first base may be something worth looking out for in the event of a blowout if Martinez makes wholesale defensive changes.
