The New York Post sees everything Bryce Harper does as indicating he wants to play for the Yankees. First it was shaving his beard when the Yankees were in town, now it’s practicing at first base. Since the Yankees outfield is full, Harper might fit better at first. The Nationals explanation seems more realistic, however:

The outfielder put in pregame work Monday afternoon taking ground balls at first base, a position he has never played in 850 career games but where he has told Nationals manager Dave Martinez he wants to play, according to the Washington Post.

“It’s just kind of him getting outside of his comfort zone and doing something different,” Martinez said. “And he’s actually not bad. I don’t know if he’ll ever start a game there, but I believe if we’re in a pinch, some kind of decisions in-game, he probably could play there. So it was good to see him out there feeling good working with [infield coach Tim Bogar]. Like I said, here’s a guy that, love him to death because he’ll do whatever it takes for this team to win and help win and that’s part of who Bryce is.”

Shaving the beard struck me as someone in a slump trying to change something. The Nationals have an abundance of outfielders, too, and Juan Soto, Michael Taylor, and Adam Eaton might be their best defensive arrangement.

It might also be that Harper is hurt, which would make a lot of sense given his slump. Playing first might be easier than playing the outfield, and give him a chance to return to form.

It’s not all about the Yankees.