Bryce Harper’s return to Washington has already drawn boos and a deleted tweet by D.C.'s mayor

It's unclear how Nationals fans will greet Harper tonight, but folks in and around Washington, D.C., don't seem too grateful.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser deleted a tweet depicting Phillies slugger Bryce Harper as famed traitor Benedict Arnold.Read moreStaff photo / Twitter / Staff photo / Twitter

by Rob Tornoe

Updated Apr. 2, 2019, 10:49 a.m. ET

Published Apr. 2, 2019, 9:00 a.m. ET

After sweeping Philadelphia fans off their feet with an energetic debut, Phillies superstar Bryce Harper will face the Washington Nationals Tuesday night for the first time since he left the team at the end of February.

Despite having spent seven seasons with the Nationals, it appears unlikely Harper will receive a warm welcome from fans in the nation’s capital. ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser — a longtime D.C. resident — said he’d be among those booing Harper upon his return to Nationals Park. So will NBC Sports Washington personalities Julie Donaldson and Travis Thomas.

FOX 5 Good Day DC anchors hung a Harper piñata in their studio Tuesday morning and took turns swinging away at it with a broomstick — and their fists.

Former Phillies and Nationals outfielder Jason Werth — who was booed when he returned to Citizens Bank Park in 2011 — told my colleague Bob Brookover he expected some fans to still be upset over Harper’s decision to leave town.

“I don’t expect it to be the same as when I went back to Philly,” Werth said. "I think they’ll be a little bit of everything.”

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser also got in on the Harper-bashing, albeit temporarily. Bowser took to Twitter on Monday to share a photo of Harper as famous traitor Benedict Arnold before deleting it a half hour later. But not before it was saved and shared by the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg.

Bowser’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Harper has already started receiving boos from Washington fans. According to Team 980 reporter and wrestling columnist Aaron Oster, the superstar’s image was booed by the crowd at Capital One Arena during WWE Monday Night Raw last night.

Longtime Washington Post columnist Tom Boswell, a frequent critic of Harper, offered a portrait of the superstar as a cynical showman, playing Phillies fans with contrived overtures, including the bow and salute he’s offered at Citizens Bank Park during the first three games of the season.

“I’ve never seen an athlete spend more time on drawing attention to himself. Maybe it’s just more obvious when he’s on a different team. His green shoes practically glowed in his first Phillies game. Completely stood out from any of his teammates," Boswell wrote in an online chat in a response to a question about whether Harper was truly happy in Philadelphia.

Washington Times columnist Thom Loverro suggested the Nationals should invite former Phillies reliever Jonathan Papelbon — who once choked Harper in the Nationals’ dugout — to the game and seat him right behind the visitors’ on-deck circle.

Harper himself is taking the high road. Ahead of his scheduled 3 p.m. news conference, the slugger penned a letter on Instagram thanking Nationals fans on Instagram for all their support during his tenure in Washington.

“When I run on the field tonight I am sure to hear some boos, but I will always remember the cheers and the screams that are still with me right now, as I start my new chapter,” Harper wrote.