Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper sported a new look during Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harper wore clear glasses during his first at-bat.
#Nationals OF Bryce Harper now wearing glasses pic.twitter.com/P3a5rNBgtK
— Matt Johnson (@MattJ_Sports) May 19, 2018
According to The Washington Post in 2011, Harper started wearing contact lenses after Nationals’ team doctor Keith Smithson prescribed them to him following an eye test. Smithson told Harper, “I don’t know how you ever hit before. You have some of the worst eyesight I’ve ever seen.”
It’s not clear what brought upon the change for Harper, but The Washington Post‘s Jorge Castillo tweeted that he doesn’t remember Harper wearing glasses before this.
Bryce Harper is wearing glasses. I don’t remember him wearing glass in a game before.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 19, 2018
Harper, who is second in baseball with 13 home runs, had a career-worst .231 batting average entering Saturday’s game.
Nationals’ announcer F.P. Santangelo first noticed the glasses early in the at-bat and the camera crew zoomed in to reveal Harper was indeed wearing clear glasses.
New-look Bryce. ? pic.twitter.com/OhjSFXueoV
— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2018
Harper finished the at-bat with a strikeout on a foul tip in a 1-2 count and made contact on all four pitches in the strike zone.