Nationals' Bryce Harper benched for 'lack of hustle'

Bryce Harper is known as a balls-to-the-wall kind of player, a guy who knows only one speed and delights in smashing into things. It's an exciting brand of baseball that is often labeled as reckless. 

So when Harper was lifted from Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning, a safe bet seemed to be that he'd managed to get himself injured again. 

Quite the opposite, in fact. Harper was apparently removed from the game by Nationals manager Matt Williams for doing that rare thing - taking his foot off the gas.  

Williams was incensed that Harper refused to run out a little comebacker he had hit to the mound. 

The Nationals made a spirited late-game push but ultimately fell short, losing 4-3. Harper's bat might have helped as his lineup spot came up in the middle of his team's ninth-inning rally. 

Williams also said that the benching won't effect Harper's status going forward, and that he'll be back in the lineup tomorrow.