Harper, Rendon out of lineup for series finale
Nats manager Williams says outfielder is fine, infielder is dealing with quad issue
WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon were both out of the Nationals' lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Braves. The Nats won the game, 7-0.
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"He's fine," manager Matt Williams said about Harper, who suffered a cramp pulling into second base after a double in the 11th inning during Wednesday's 2-1 win but stayed in the game and scored the winning run. "He's getting a day off."
When asked a follow-up question, Williams said both Harper and Rendon were available off the bench, but that he was "not going to delve into intricacies."
Rendon has been dealing with soreness in his left quad, Williams said, an issue unrelated to the knee and oblique injuries that caused him to miss the first two months of the season.
"He's had a little bit of an issue with the quad that he's been playing with, so we're making sure that we look at days that we can give him," Williams said. "Today was one of those days that we've scheduled. So, we need to make sure that we're mindful of his progress, too."
Rendon was 6-for-8 over the last two games, bringing his batting average up to .290 in the 18 games he's played this year.
Harper has played in 69 of the Nationals' 72 games this season and is batting .340 with 24 home runs and 58 RBIs.