Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter/first baseman Bryce Harper left Thursday’s 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals due to mid-back spasms, according to Phils’ manager Rob Thomson. The former two-time NL MVP is listed as day-to-day and potential injured list trip is unknown. He will not be in the Phils’ lineup on Friday in the series opener against Minnesota.
The timing of Harper’s latest ailment couldn’t come at a worse time. Harper, who missed the first month of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, had recently found his power stroke again. Over the past two weeks, Harper has hit four home runs, eight doubles, with 14 RBIs, and an .836 OPS. In short, he was once again looking like the player that could change a game with one swing of the bat.
Bryce Harper Splits
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | TB | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB | ROE | BAbip | tOPS+ | sOPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Totals | 83 | 82 | 360 | 311 | 50 | 91 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 45 | 85 | .293 | .381 | .428 | .808 | 133 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .378 | 100 | 123 |
| Last 7 days | 7 | 7 | 28 | 25 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .280 | .321 | .640 | .961 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .313 | 134 | 152 |
| Last 14 days | 14 | 14 | 62 | 54 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | .278 | .355 | .482 | .836 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .406 | 106 | 126 |
| Last 28 days | 27 | 26 | 114 | 101 | 17 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 30 | .297 | .368 | .485 | .854 | 49 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .382 | 110 | 130 |
| Last 365 days | 118 | 117 | 511 | 439 | 64 | 120 | 28 | 0 | 10 | 55 | 9 | 4 | 65 | 120 | .273 | .364 | .406 | .770 | 178 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 2 | .349 | 90 |
While it wasn’t announced, you have to wonder if Harper’s back issues are related to playing the field on a more regular basis. Harper began playing the field on July 21, he’s played a total of 12-games in the field since then. The Phillies have held Harper out of a handful of games during that time for “rest.”
Harper has said he “feels better than yesterday (Thursday)” but didn’t seem like he would be able to pinch hit on Friday, according to Phillies’ beat writer Tim Kelly. Now we wait as the club, and fanbase, hold their collective breath on any news related to the back of the 30-year-old franchise player.
Latest Phillies Postseason Odds
| Bet | Odds | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies to Win the World Series | +2000 |  |
| Phillies to Win the National League | +1000 | |
