Major League Baseball

Report: Harper in bench-clearing incident

Published Apr. 27, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Baseball's top overall draft pick, Bryce Harper, found himself at the center of a bench clearing incident during a minor league game, the Charleston Gazette reported Wednesday.

The Washington Nationals' prospect helped spark the incident Tuesday night, exchanging words with an opposing team's pitcher after taking a called third strike during a game in Charleston, W.Va.

The exchange took place after Harper, who had hit a home run in an earlier at-bat, took the called strike from West Virginia Power pitcher, Tyler Waldron.

The chatter between the two was enough to spark both teams to pour out on to the field. No punches were thrown, according to the Gazette, and Harper was pulled from the fray by a teammate.

"That conversation should probably stay between the team and stay on the field," Waldron said with a smile after the game, according to the Gazette.

Harper has not commented on the incident.

The 18-year-old prospect is hitting .286 through 17 games with the Nationals' Class-A club, the Hagerstown Suns. The budding star has four home runs and 15 RBIs this season.