Bryce Harper, for the second consecutive postseason, has been a thorn in the side of the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. Philadelphia Phillies fan will forever be grateful for Harper's playoff contributions, none bigger than his epic Game 3 to give the Phillies a chance to seal the series in Game 4. Thus, Phillies fans waited with bated breath to see if the elbow injury Harper appeared to sustain at the top of the eighth inning in what turned out to be a series-clinching 3-1 victory was severe.
Of course, Harper was able to stay in the game, not necessitating a defensive sub at the very least. This then bodes well for the Phillies first baseman's injury status for the upcoming NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks. And it seems as though Harper himself knows that the injury he suffered shouldn't be too big of a deal for him moving forward.
“I’m good, just hit my funny bone,” Harper told reporters after the game, per Yahoo Sports.
This should be music to Phillies fans' ears, as losing Bryce Harper, while it isn't the end of the world, would have been detrimental to their chances of making it back to the World Series. Harper, even if he's not hitting the ball out of the park, is such a dangerous threat at the heart of the Phillies order. In Game 4, Harper reached base thrice in four plate appearances, providing value even if he's not driving in runs.
The major cause for concern surrounding Harper's apparent elbow injury is that he has a history of dealing with a major injury to that very specific part of his body. Back in November 2022, the Phillies slugger underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the torn UCL in his right elbow, so it immediately sounded off alarm bells when he collided with Matt Olson and he came away writhing in pain.
But now, with Harper having just suffered a knock to his funny bone, it shouldn't take him more than a few hours, if any, to fully put this knock behind him. And for Phillies fans, the good news keeps on piling up.