Bryce’s blast | Sports Daily Newsletter

Home run No. 300. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

It’s a neat milestone for Phillies star Bryce Harper, but it doesn’t tell his full baseball story, a story of one of the best to play the game.

Yes, he’s in the same tier as two guys sitting in the opposite dugout on Wednesday — Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout — and the numbers bear that out. Harper’s OPS since 2018 is one point higher than Ohtani, and he’s one of just five players with 400-plus plate appearances and an OPS of .800 or higher in eight straight seasons.

He takes pride in playing every day — and doing it in Philadelphia: “I love playing this game, and, like I said, I love playing it with ‘Phillies’ across my chest,” he said.

As Harper begins his climb toward the next milestone, our David Murphy offers his take on Harper and his place among the greats.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓ Harper might be in the conversation now, but who’s the greatest Phillie ever and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Bryce Harper loves being a Phillie. Really, really loves it. So it was only fitting that he achieved a career milestone of 300 home runs in front of the faithful at Citizens Bank Park. But time was running out in the final game of a nine-game homestand. In the eighth inning against the Angels, Harper gave the fans what they were waiting for, launching a 381-foot shot to right-center field, becoming the fifth player to hit No. 300 in a Phillies uniform, and the fourth-youngest active player to reach the milestone.

The Phillies have been prolific at the plate throughout August, and a more disciplined approach has been key to the power surge.

Next: After an off-day on Thursday, the Phillies open a three-game series in Milwaukee at 8:10 p.m. Friday (NBCSP).

A day after making several cuts to trim the roster down to the maximum 53 players, the Eagles brought back several key faces via the practice squad.

In fact, they brought back 13 players in all, headlined by punter Arryn Siposs, punt returner Britain Covey, and sprinter turned football player Devon Allen. Here’s a look at the 13 players the Eagles signed to the practice squad on Wednesday.

While the roster might be pared down, there are still several competitions that remain ongoing. Olivia Reiner looks at which positions have the most question marks less than two weeks ahead of the season opener.

It’s embarrassing to lose to the worst team in MLS, even if they’ve got a star on the squad. And although the Union did in lose in Leagues Cup play to Inter Miami, this week the loss was inflicted by Lorenzo Insigne and Toronto FC. But just as Messi has led Miami out of the cellar of the MLS standings, Insigne’s talent can spark a change in floundering Toronto, even if his sudden dedication is simply a ruse to get new manager John Herdman to view the mecurial star more favorably. Conversely, the loss might start the Union sliding, especially with an injury to Leon Flach, plus José Andrés Martínez and Jesús Bueno now out for the next game due to drawing cards for their behavior.

In other Union news, former stars Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie earned call-ups by the United States, which plays Uzbekistan and Oman in friendlies later this month.

“A slap in the face”: Speedy Morris’ family is dismayed about the legendary coach’s name being moved on the court at St. Joe’s Prep.

Hoot and a holler: Temple men’s basketball team releases its nonconference schedule.

We asked you: Howie Roseman has been given a lot of credit, but what’s your level of faith in Nick Sirianni and his coaching? Why? Among your responses:

Quick answer on Sirianni. Overall coaching record 101-24. Rookie season as Eagles coach 9-8, and second year 14-3 with a division championship, an NFC championship, and just a few points away from winning the Super Bowl. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, David Murphy, Olivia Reiner, Josh Tolentino, Aaron Carter, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Kerith Gabriel.