Bruised Harper scratched from lineup

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ATLANTA — The Braves' repeated plunkings of Bryce Harper are now preventing the Nationals star from taking the field.

Harper was scratched from tonight's lineup with a bruised upper left arm, in the area where he was hit by Luis Avilan's fastball during the eighth inning of Friday night's loss at Turner Field, the third time he has been plunked in the Nationals' last three games against Atlanta.

"I'm not happy with it," manager Davey Johnson said today from his office next to the Nationals clubhouse. "I know everybody in that room is not happy with it."

The Nationals have refrained from retaliating to this point, both because of specific game situations and because warnings were issued to both dugouts after Harper was hit, mandating automatic ejections and suspensions for pitchers and managers if there is a subsequent plunking.

Johnson, though, doesn't expect any warnings to be issued at the start of tonight's game. And while he insisted he wouldn't call for any retaliation himself, the 70-year-old skipper suggested he wouldn't be surprised if something did happen.
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