The Philadelphia Phillies received some unfortunate news on Thursday when it was announced that star outfielder Bryce Harper had a small UCL tear in his elbow, an injury he has been playing through for much of the 2022 season. However, while the injury prevents him from playing the field, it hasn't affected the Phillies star much at the dish. as he homered once again in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Following the game, Harper spoke to reporters, revealing the hardest part of the injury, as reported by Brian Wright of MLB.com.

“I miss playing [defense],” Harper said. “I really do. I miss being out there with my team and playing on the field. It’s been tough. I want to get back out there. I want to help this team on both sides of the ball. I miss playing right [field]. … That’s been a grind for me. Just worrying about hitting all day, instead of going out there and playing both sides of the ball.”

Harper revealed that he “misses playing defense.” The 2021 National League MVP wants to help the team on both sides of the ball but can't due to the injury, which will prevent him from throwing for four weeks.

Fortunately, Harper's performance at the dish hasn't suffered, as he went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the win over the Dodgers. For the season, the Phillies slugger sports a very Harper-esque .276/.328/.553 slash line with seven homers, 22 RBI, 25 runs scored and six stolen bases.

While it's hard for the Phillies star to realize that he can't help the team in the field, he is more than capable of playing through the injury at the plate, as evidenced by his standout game against the Dodgers.