Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper to Be Called Up on Saturday, Predictions

It's official—the Washington Nationals have announced that they will call up top-prospect Bryce Harper to make his major league debut on Saturday against the Dodgers.

This move comes just after the team placed third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury.

The move comes as a bit of a shock, as Harper was hitting just .250/.333/.375 with one home run in 20 games at Triple-A Syracuse.

At 19 years old, Harper has played just 57 games above Single-A. The Nationals will likely expect him to play every day, so Roger Bernadina, Xavier Nady and Rick Ankiel will be losing playing time.

Mike Rizzo admitted the timing isn't excellent, saying "This isn't the optimal situation developmentally."

Rizzo also said that Harper will play left field, a position he played just twice in 20 games in Syracuse.

To add to the drama, the Nationals will send Stephen Strasburg to the mound.

Harper's debut will be well documented, and his every move will be criticized.

Here are five predictions for his debut.

He'll Strikeout in His First at-Bat

There's no doubt that Harper will be swinging for the fences in his first major league at-bat, which generally isn't conducive to getting on base.

He'll face Chad Billingsley in his first at-bat, a pitcher who has been very successful early on in 2012.

Through four starts, he has posted a 2-1 record and an ERA of 3.04. He's struck out 19 in 23.2 innings.

Harper will work the count full, taking two huge hacks to start the at-bat and taking three straight balls well out of the zone—Billingsley will likely be a little nervous too.

The Dodger's No. 2 starter will come back and paint the outside corner with a fastball, though, effectively ending Harper's first at-bat.

He'll Rope a Double in at-Bat No. 2

Harper will come back with a vengeance in his second at-bat against Billingsley.

He'll have seen the pitcher's whole repertoire in at-bat No. 1, so there will be no surprises when he steps back up to the plate later in the game.

On a 2-1 pitch, Harper will take a hanging slider on the inside part of the plate and pull it into the right field corner.

The ball will one-hop the fence and roll around in the corner before right-fielder Andre Ethier recovers and throws the ball into the infield.

Harper will be safe at second after running hard out of the box for his first major league hit.

He'll Work a Bases Loaded Walk in His Third at-Bat

It'll likely be a pitcher's duel in the early stages of the game, with Strasburg and Billingsley trading zeroes until the sixth inning.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Harper will step up for the first big at-bat of his young career.

Harper will have us jump out of our seats with a long fly ball to right, but the ball will unfortunately curve just foul, down the line.

Then, with the count 0-2, Billingsley will be scared to give up another deep drive to Harper.

That anxiety will lead to four straight pitches out of the zone, giving Harper his first career RBI.

It will also give the Nationals a lead they won't look back on.

He'll Fly out to Left Field in His Final at-Bat

In the eighth inning, with the Nationals up 2-1 and a runner on second, Harper will come up to bat with one out against reliever Kenley Jansen.

The first pitch of the at-bat will be right over the middle of the plate, and Harper will take a big swing. He'll make solid contact of the ball, but he'll be a little late with his swing.

The drive will chase left-fielder Juan Rivera back to the warning track, where he'll make the catch.

The collective sigh of the likely sell-out crowd will then come over the stadium, as fans will be upset that they didn't get to witness Harper's first major league home run.

Conclusion

Overall, Harper's debut will be a solid one.

He'll have the pleasure of facing a quality major league pitcher in his first game, and he'll finish with mostly positive results.

With a 1-4 performance including and double and an RBI, the Nationals will be pleased with his performance.

Many around the league will still question the move to bring him up so early, but it'll be difficult to argue with his results.

The hopefully long career of Harper begins on Saturday, and fans around the league will be watching his every move closely for the rest of the 2012 season.