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A few key players are unavailable to play for their respective teams on Friday as the deal with minor injuries. None of the players are expected to miss significant playing time, but their situations are still worth monitoring.
Harper sits with toe injury
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was held out of the team's starting lineup on Friday to undergo a procedure to remove an ingrown toenail. Nationals manager Davey Johnson told the media that Harper had been dealing with the injury for three days, and that the 20 year-old was in a lot of pain on Thursday night.
Harper still managed to smack a home-run on Thursday despite the injury, and is hitting .302/.383/.629 through his first 133 plate appearances. The Nationals expect Harper to return to the lineup on Thursday.
Martin experiencing neck soreness
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Russell Martin is out of the starting lineup after his neck soreness from a few days ago flared up again. Martin has only caught one game since May 5 while dealing with the injury.
The Pirates don't believe that the issue is too serious and currently have no plans to put the catcher on the disabled list. Martin has swung the bat well to start the season, hitting .263/.358/.526.
Perkins dealing with left side stiffness
Minnesota Twins closer Glen Perkins felt some stiffness in his left side earlier on Friday, causing manager Ron Gardenhire to make the closer unavailable for Friday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The injury is not considered serious, and Perkins is expected to be available to pitch on Saturday. The southpaw has taken well to the closer role this season, as Perkins has eight saves in eight opportunities.
