WASHINGTON NATIONALS rookie Bryce Harper will miss a couple of days’ work after falling foul of his own temper during his side’s 7-3 win at Cincinnati.

Frustrated with his performance, the 19-year-old took an angry swing with at a nearby wall, only for the barrel of the bat to rebound and catch him above the left eye. He went on to play with blood trickling down his face, but retreated to the emergency following the game.

A sheepish Harper later explained the situation to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

“I just got caught up in the moment. I want to do so well. It just got me… It started bleeding, and I was like, ‘Ah, crap.’ Stitched it up as fast as I can and go back [sic] out to the outfield.”

Considered one of the most promising young players in the history of the league, the teenager has endured a turbulent start to his MLB career.

Just last week he was struck by a wayward pitch during a tense exchange with Philadelphia Phillies veteran Cole Hamels. The 28-year-old later admitted to targeting Harper, an offence for which he received a five-game ban.

– AP reporters contributed to this article

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