The news for the Phillies was not good on the West Coast Saturday night. Batting against Padres starter Blake Snell in the fourth inning, reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper was hit by a pitch that Harper could not avoid. Immediately it was clear it was a serious injury, as even Padres catcher Jorge Alfaro forgot about the game and tended to Harper.
Warning: This is not fun to watch:
Bryce Harper gets drilled in the hand and leaves the game! Hopefully he will be okay 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/Q4UVx2lyI8
— Brodes Media (@BrodesMedia) June 26, 2022
In the sixth inning, we learned his fate. The Phillies announced that Harper's thumb was fractured on that hit-by-pitch:
The Phillies say Bryce Harper fractured his left thumb. — Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 26, 2022
So now what? One Twitter account has a really important reminder:
The Braves won a world series after Acuna went down — Phillies Baseball Talk (@PhitinsBaseTalk) June 26, 2022
The Phillies have plenty of high-paid stars. Among those struggling include J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos. Will they step up here and help the Phillies get through the time the Phillies will have without Harper?
There's no immediate timeline as to when Harper will return. But this will be a serious test for the rest of the Phillies roster.
