Around the Horn: What’s wrong with Bryce Harper?

Washington’s Bryce Harper is hitting .216 with only five homers since the All-Star break, but despite a published report, his poor hitting apparently has nothing to do with a shoulder injury. “I don’t know where they got that from,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “Bryce said it didn’t come from him. Nobody really knows where it comes from because it’s not on the injury report. The trainer said no. We treated that shoulder already in the past.” … Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain will not play again this season because of a sprained hand…. A.J. Ellis has been such a positive influence in the clubhouse and on the bench that the Phillies are now interested in re-signing him, according to phillyvoice.com. How about making him a player-coach? … When he was asked what separated his team from a team like the Kansas City Royals, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu had a one-word answer: “Desire.” … The Texas Rangers hope to have outfielder and leadoff man Shin-Soo Choo, recovering from a broken arm, back for the playoffs…. Cubs General Manager Theo Epstein, whose team will probably play the winner of the wild-card game in the first round of the playoffs, has this wish about the wild-card spot: “We hope there’s a three-way tie, a 20-inning game to decide who plays on Tuesday, and that the Tuesday game goes about 30 innings. And then rain delays make it a Thursday game, and then it goes 30 innings.” … Colorado’s Nolan Arenado became the second player age 25 or younger to have consecutive seasons with at least 125 RBIs. The other is Albert Pujols…. The Dodgers and Giants have played each other 16 times this season. They have each won eight times, with the Dodgers scoring 59 runs and the Giants scoring 58…. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Mets has hit 20 home runs as a shortstop this season, breaking the old team mark of 19 held by Jose Reyes in 2006…. Boston’s David Ortiz has at least 120 RBIs for the fourth time, one of only three Red Sox players in history to have four such seasons. The other two: Ted Williams (seven) and Jim Rice (four)…. Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals has 18 RBIs this season, the most by a pitcher since the DH began in 1973.