Drilled in the elbow by a pitch, Bryce Harper leaves Phillies game with a bruise
Harper got hit on the elbow — the same elbow that he had surgically repaired two years ago — by a 95.3 mph pitch from Braves starter Spencer Strider in the first inning.
Bryce Harper dropped to one knee, cradling his right elbow and pressing his arm to his chest.
And the Phillies held their breath.
X-rays were negative, the team announced Tuesday night, and Harper was diagnosed with a bruise after getting hit on the elbow — the same elbow that he had surgically repaired two years ago — by a 95.3 mph pitch from Braves starter Spencer Strider in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park.
But although Harper seemed to have avoided a worst-case scenario, it caused several anxious moments in the opener of a six-game homestand.
Harper doubled over on the grass in front of the Phillies’ dugout. After being seen by assistant athletic trainer Joe Rauch, he walked off the field and up the tunnel leading to the clubhouse.
Reserve infielder Edmundo Sosa ran for Harper and stayed in the game at third base; Alec Bohm moved from third base to first.
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Harper entered the week with 18 hits in his last 47 at-bats, raising his batting average to .267 and his OPS to .823 from .236 and .780 two weeks ago.
Strider was making only his second start for Atlanta since returning from a hamstring strain. The hard-throwing righty was booed as he walked off the field after the first inning and again when he returned for the second.
Harper missed 53 games in 2022 after getting hit by a pitch from then-Padres lefty Blake Snell and breaking his left thumb. He tore a ligament in his right elbow in 2023 and underwent Tommy John surgery after the season.