Bryce Harper says he'd like to participate in the Olympics when baseball returns to the Summer Games in 2021.

"It is such a travesty to me," Harper said. "The 2020 Olympics, in Japan. And you're not sending big league guys? Are you kidding me? You want to grow the game as much as possible and you're not going to let us play in the Olympics because you don't want to [lose] out on money for a two-week period? OK, that's dumb."

Baseball was an official sport in the Olympics from 1992 to 2008, but only amateurs and minor league players participated because it would have interrupted the Major League season.

"[Major league players] have to do the Olympics every four years," Harper said. "You want to grow the game? You want to really take it to different countries and different places?

"The 2021 Olympics are next year because of the coronavirus. Why not shock the world and put all your big leaguers back into the Olympics?"