It’s been a very busy day, so I just saw the latest Bryce Harper controversy.

As his Washington Nationals took batting practice in preparation for their series opener against the New York Yankees on Tuesday evening, a seething Mike Rizzo came to Bryce Harper’s defense a day after a National League executive was anonymously quoted by FanRag Sports calling the outfielder “overrated” and “a selfish, losing player.”

Rizzo did not pull punches:

“It’s something that has to be talked about and exposed because otherwise if nobody says anything about it, it can’t go on,” Rizzo said about the anonymous report. “For another team’s executive — if it happened, if it was said — if another team’s executive to lambaste a player and denigrate this player’s ability level, his character, and his integrity, and not have the balls to put his name on it is cowardly and chicken s***. And he should be exposed for it.”

My rule of thumb is to be very wary of anonymous sources, since they often have an axe to grind. Without knowing what is prompting them to hide, it’s tough to trust the quotes.

Harper is going through a very rough stretch right now, and my first assumption with rough stretches is that the player is injured. With a number of other big Washington bats out of the lineup, I could see where Harper might play hurt. Now, Adam Eaton and Daniel Murphy are back, maybe Harper can get a little rest and heal whatever is wrong with him.