Baker on Harper's neck injury: 'I'm not a doctor'

Bryce Harper was out of the Washington Nationals' starting lineup with a stiff neck for the third straight game Wednesday. The team has an off day on Thursday, so with four full days to rest, manager Dusty Baker hopes to have his star outfielder back in business against the Atlanta Braves for the weekend series.

The team has been relatively quiet about the extent of Harper's injury, and Baker didn't have much else to say to reporters.

"It's the same. It's a spasm. (The trainers) have tried to alleviate it, and it hasn't worked yet," Baker said, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. "So we'll just do what we have to do. Don't assume that it's worse than what I've told you, because it's not. Not that I know of; I'm not a doctor."

For now, he's considered day to day. Since the All-Star break, Harper is 9-for-67 (.134) with one home run. It's not clear how much the ailing neck is playing into the 23-year-old's slump.