Touch 'Em All: Nats' Bryce Harper gets stitched up

Bryce Harper arrived at Dodger Stadium Tuesday a little bit smarter.

Less than 24 hours earlier, the 20-year-old Washington Nationals slugger ran headfirst into the right-field wall while chasing a fly ball. The violent collision left him with 11 stitches in his chin, a sore body and a lesson learned.

Harper vows to keep playing hard, but says he will learn how to avoid crashing into the wall with such force.

He sat Tuesday night and is due to sit out the remaining two games of Washington's series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Harper wasn't upset about hitting the wall, only the after-effects.

First of all, he didn't catch A.J. Ellis' triple. Second, he had to shave his beard so the medical staff could patch him up. And then there was the general soreness anyone would feel after running into a wall full-speed.

Harper eventually got up under his own power. Streaks of blood from his chin that got cut on Harper eventually got up under his own power.

Streaks of blood from his chin that got cut on the chain link covering the scoreboard were evident on his neck as he walked off the field.

"It definitely wasn't pretty seeing the blood trickle down his neck," Nats centerfielder Denard Span said.

"He's a warrior."

Blue Jays righthander Sergio Santos will have surgery this week to remove bone spurs from his pitching elbow and is expected to be sidelined about six weeks.

Shortstop Jose Reyes, out since April 12 with a severely sprained left ankle, is out of his walking boot and will soon be able to start light jogging.

Outfielder Melky Cabrera will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine the cause of persistent soreness in his legs, particularly his left hamstring.

Don't ask about the pitchers who are out.

MLB teams improved racial diversity in hiring senior administrators, but the employment of women is still lagging.

An annual report gave racial hiring an A grade for the fifth straight year. Gender hiring remained a C+.

- Associated Press