The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves 7-2 on Friday. However, the biggest news of the day may have just been the comments made by superstar first baseman Bryce Harper, who has been struggling since the All-Star break.
Harper addressed the lingering elbow and wrist injuries that he has been dealing with all season to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
According to Harper, his wrist has been bothering him since May, but the increased elbow irritation is more recent. He does not remember a specific play or moment that caused his elbow to get worse.
“Just generally got worse. I’ve been grinding through that,” Harper said. “I don’t want to make excuses for what I do you know what I’m saying? I’ve just got to get through it. Hopefully it gets better, rather than getting worse. [The wrist’s] finally getting to the point where I feel like it’s turning a corner. My elbow is just, like, there.”
Harper had Tommy John surgery on his elbow in 2022 that forced him to transition from playing the outfield to first base. However, he confirmed that the latest issues with his elbow are unrelated to his previously UCL tear.
“It’s not the ligament,” Harper said. “It’s in that area. But it’s not the ligament, so that’s a good thing.”
Bryce Harper's struggles since the All-Star break
Heading into the All-Star break, Harper was looking like his usual self: one of the best hitters in baseball on a first place Phillies team. He was hitting .301 with a .982 OPS and 21 home runs and 61 RBI.
Since the break, however, Harper has been noticeable struggling at the plate. Dealing with elbow and wrist injuries, Harper is hitting just .243 with a .724 OPS and five home runs and 15 RBI.
While the Phillies are not necessarily in any danger of losing the lead in the NL East as of now, still five games up on the Braves even after Friday's loss, Harper's lack of production at the plate is concerning. After coming up short of a title in two straight seasons, losing to the Houston Astros in the World Series in 2022 and losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS last year, expectations are sky-high for the Phillies to finally get it done.
Led by a star-studded rotation featuring Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez and one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, the Phillies are going to be one of the toughest teams to beat come October.
The big question going forward: How much can the Phillies really count on a clearly less-than 100% Harper.
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