Major League Baseball

Nats' Werth to DL; Harper sits again

Published May. 11, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper was out of the lineup Saturday for a second consecutive game after having an ingrown toenail removed, while right fielder Jayson Werth went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.

As expected, Werth's roster spot was taken by outfielder Eury Perez, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before Washington hosted the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

Harper had a procedure on his big toe Friday and sat out that night's game; he tweeted a photo of his bloody toe and a piece of nail that was pulled from it.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson originally said he expected Harper back in the lineup Saturday, but the toe was still tender.

Tyler Moore started in left field Saturday, with Roger Bernadina in right.

Werth's stint on the DL is retroactive to May 3. He is batting .260 with four homers and 10 RBI this season. The team had hoped to avoid sidelining Werth for 15 days, but his troublesome hamstring didn't heal right away.

''It's a mysterious thing that's going on. I don't know. I mean, our trainer doesn't know. Our doctors — I'm not sure they know, either,'' Johnson said.

After Friday night's 7-3 victory over Chicago, Werth said: ''It's one of those things I feel bad; the team has been playing with 24 guys for over a week now. We feel like we're close and I feel like it's really not that severe. But it's one of those things you go out there with the way it is, and you might make it severe pretty quickly. Erring on the side of caution, but at the same time at this point I think it's necessary (to go on the DL).''

Perez was hitting .346 with seven steals and 17 runs in 23 games at Syracuse this season.

Johnson was asked what Perez's role will be in Washington, and the manager replied: ''I don't know what I'm going to do. He just got here. We'll see if he can hit major league pitching.''

Perez appeared in 13 games for Washington in 2012, going 1 for 5 at the plate.

''I thought last year, at times, he felt out over his skis, and that's inexperience,'' Johnson said. ''I think he's going to feel more comfortable being here.''

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