'No chance' Harper participates in HR Derby

Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper hasn't participated in the Home Run Derby since 2013, when he lost in the final round at Citi Field, and the 24-year-old reiterated Sunday there's "no chance" he enters the contest this year, either.

Harper, who's poised to make his fifth career All-Star appearance next week in Miami after leading all players with 4.64 million votes, had previously made it clear he wouldn't enter the Derby in 2016 or 2017, explaining a few years back that he would likely hold out until the Nationals host the All-Star Game in 2018.

"Probably at home. I'd like to do it in D.C.," Harper told ESPN in 2015.

Harper is definitely qualified to take a whack at it this year, though. After slipping a bit in 2016, one year after leading the National League in homers en route to an MVP award, Harper has rebounded with aplomb this season, posting a 1.025 OPS and raising his homer total to 20 on Sunday with a pair of round-trippers in a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

With a week to go until the Derby gets underway at Marlins Park, the only confirmed participants are Minnesota Twins slugger Miguel Sano, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, and reigning champion Giancarlo Stanton.