The Philadelphia Phillies played the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday at Toronto's spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper played in the game and suffered an apparent injury on a hit-by-pitch. Matt Gelb from The Athletic says that the team is not concerned about Harper.

“Harper was not happy. He left the field with a team athletic trainer, underwent a quick examination, then showered and dressed. He drove away from TD Ballpark on his own. And that is how a rare Harper road trip in the Grapefruit League concluded. He had a bruised triceps to show for it, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. ‘We’re not overly concerned at all,' Thomson said,” Gelb wrote.

Harper was not scheduled to play for the Phillies on Thursday when they take on the Yankees at home in Clearwater. Stars like Harper rarely play road games during spring training but considering the Phillies and Blue Jays facilities are very close to each other, he made the trip.

In two at-bats against the Blue Jays, Harper did not have any hits. Many of Philly's best players played in the game, which they won 9-6. Kody Clemens led the way with two runs batted in.

The Phillies need Bryce Harper to get over the playoff hump

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Since Bryce Harper signed his 13-year, $330 million deal, the Phillies have made the playoffs three times in six seasons. After a World Series loss in 2022, they fell in the NLCS in 2023 and NLDS in 2024. So things have been trending in the wrong direction for the team as Harper has gotten older.

Harper dealt with injuries in 2022 and 2023, missing a combined 99 games in the two seasons. Some of them have been due to hit by pitches, which caused massive concern for the Phillies on Wednesday. But a bruised tricep should not be a long-term problem for the former MVP.

With most of the core returning from last year, the Phillies need everyone to take a step up from last year. Harper was fantastic last season, with 30 homers and 87 RBIs in 145 games. He posted a .529 on-base percentage in the playoffs, which was only four games due to a heartbreaking loss to the New York Mets.

Thankfully for the Phillies, Bryce Harper avoided serious injury when he was hit by a pitch in spring training. They will need him after a disappointing playoff exit last year along with the rest of their elite core.