Bryce Harper out of the Phillies’ lineup with a sore right wrist: ‘He’s just having trouble swinging’

PITTSBURGH — Bryce Harper got four at-bats Thursday and struck out swinging three times on breaking pitches.

Results aside, nothing seemed amiss.

But Harper is playing through soreness in his right wrist, an issue that has lingered “for a while,” manager Rob Thomson revealed Friday after taking Harper out of the lineup for the Phillies’ series opener against the Pirates.

“He’s just having trouble swinging,” Thomson said. “So if it’s affecting his swing, we’re going to hold him off and get it right.”

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Harper received treatment in the training room before the game and wasn’t available for comment.

It was unclear when Harper injured his wrist — “It’s been a while,” Thomson said — or how long he might be sidelined. But Harper missed five games last week with a bruised right elbow after getting hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider, and the time down didn’t seem to help his wrist.

With Harper absent, Alec Bohm moved across the infield to first base; reserve infielder Edmundo Sosa started at third base.

Harper also played through soreness in his right wrist last season. The issue was isolated to the lunate bone at the top of the wrist near the hand. It was bothersome on swings and misses because it affected his bottom hand.

It’s unknown whether this injury is related.

“At the end of last season, it was pretty good pain,” Harper said in spring training. “But there’s nothing much that you could really do. It was kind of like a bone bruise into my hand, so I had to let it heal the best I could. Obviously, there’s aches and pains for everybody, but that one kind of hit me a little bit harder last year.”

After a slow start by his standards, Harper was on a two-week hot streak — 18-for-47 with a 1.008 OPS in 13 games — before getting hit by the pitch. Upon his return Tuesday night in Toronto, he homered in his first at-bat against Blue Jays righty Bowden Francis.

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But Harper went hitless in 10 at-bats for the remainder of the series, including the three strikeouts in Thursday’s 9-1 loss.

Thomson said Harper reported the soreness to the training staff after arriving at PNC Park on Friday.

“I’ve said it many times: [Injuries to] feet and hands scare me,” Thomson said. “I think it affects bad swings. Whether they believe that or not or admit to it or not, I think it does. He’s been grinding on it. I think it’s just from swinging.”

Two nights after getting hit in the groin area by a foul ball, J.T. Realmuto returned to the Phillies’ lineup.

“He’s a tough guy, man,” Thomson said. “He’s a tough guy. He feels fine. I’m sure he’s a little sore.”

Realmuto said he felt “nauseous” and “like I was going to throw up” but didn’t expect to miss much time. He wound up missing only one game.

The iron man catcher has started 51 of the Phillies’ 62 games. Entering play Friday, he had been behind the plate for 441⅔ innings, trailing only Washington’s Keibert Ruiz (446) and Milwaukee’s William Contreras (445⅓).

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In preparation for a bullpen game Friday night, the Phillies imported a fresh arm from triple A.

Right-hander Alan Rangel was recalled from Lehigh Valley to provide multiple innings. Rangel, 27, had a 5.02 ERA in 12 starts but allowed only six runs in his last 16 innings.

“I thought the time was going to come, but it took me by surprise that today was the day that they chose to make it the day,” Rangel, who hails from Mexico, said through a team interpreter. “It’s emotional overall. I got extremely excited and happy, and now I’m a little bit nervous to be here.”

To make room on the roster, the Phillies optioned righty Seth Johnson, who pitched two innings Thursday in Toronto.

Aaron Nola continues to recover from stiffness in his right side but wasn’t ready to face hitters in live batting practice. “We’re going to wait until we knock that thing right out,” Thomson said. “We’re not going to put him in danger.” Nola has been out since May 16 with a sprained right ankle. … Center field prospect Justin Crawford left Thursday night’s game for Lehigh Valley with a cramp in his quadriceps and wasn’t in the lineup Friday. Crawford, 21, is batting .349 with a .416 on-base percentage and an .864 OPS. ... Ranger Suárez (4-0, 2.72 ERA) is scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. Saturday against Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney (3-4, 3.39). … No, the Phillies won’t miss Paul Skenes. The Pirates ace is lined up to start the series finale Sunday.