The Philadelphia Phillies have lost seven of their last eight games, to relinquish first place in the National League East and fall 2 1/2 games behind the New York Mets. But on Saturday, the Phillies’ misfortune took an ever darker turn.
Philadelphia announced that superstar Bryce Harper, in the seventh season of his 13-year, $330 million contract with the club, was placed on the 10-day injured list with “right wrist inflammation.”
Harper missed Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with what the club described as “soreness” in the wrist, but on Saturday the inflammation had not subsided and an IL stint was deemed necessary.
Eligible to Return on June 16
The 10-day stay on the IL was made retroactive to June 6, meaning that Harper is eligible to return on June 16 for the start of a three game set against the Miami Marlins.
Whether Harper will be ready to come back by that date remained unclear as of Saturday morning, according to a CBS Sports report.
The IL announcement comes 10 days after Harper was hit on the right elbow with a pitch thrown by Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider.
Hope he’s ok 🙏
Harper ended up missing five games due to that injury.
Whether the new wrist injury is also related to the hit-by-pitch is unclear. Phillies manager Rob Thomsen said on Saturday that Harper has been coping with soreness in the wrist for “a while,” as quoted by an MLB.com report.
To take Harper’s place on the 26-man roster, the Phillies called up their No. 24-ranked prospect, third baseman Otto Kemp, from the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, where the 25-year-old had blasted 14 home runs and posted an impressive 1.010 OPS in 55 games. Kemp has also swiped 11 bases.
Kemp’s home run total leads the International League, while his OPS places him second, according to the MLB.com report.
Harper Had Surgery on Right Arm After 2022 Season
After the hit-by-pitch on May 27, Harper underwent X-rays on his elbow which showed no structural damage. The injury was diagnosed as a simple bruise.
But the right elbow is the same one one which Harper had UCL repair surgery following the 2022 season, which forced him to miss significant time in 2023. He played 126 games that season.
Four years removed from his MVP-winning season in 2021, Harper was hitting .258 with an .814 OPS before missing Friday’s game. That OPS would be his lowest as a member of the Phillies, and lowest since 2016 when Harper was still a member of his original team, the Washington Nationals.
Harper’s nine home runs in 253 plate appearances so far would out him on pace for 22 on the season, based on his 2024 total of 631 plate appearances in 145 games. That would be his lowest home run total since he managed only 18 in 2022. But he played in just 99 games that year.
In Kemp, Thomson will have a more versatile player than Harper, in terms of the number of possible roles he can take defensively. The prospect has logged 33 games at third base, but has also played eight in left field, seven at first base and even 10 games at second base for the Iron Pigs.
Phillies Make Unfortunate Announcement on Bryce Harper