Phillies’ Bryce Harper is ‘good’ after being hit by a pitch, not ready to take some time off

TORONTO — Bryce Harper tweaked his right elbow on a swing Tuesday night, but it was his left elbow that was giving him trouble in Wednesday’s game against the Blue Jays.

Toronto’s Bowden Francis hit Harper on his left elbow with a 92.9 mph, four-seam fastball in the first inning, and the Phillies first baseman was looked at by a trainer shortly afterward. Harper was removed from the game in the third inning with what the Phillies called a left elbow contusion.

Harper said afterward that he felt good. His manager reinforced that.

“[He’s] good,” Rob Thomson said after the Phillies’ 4-2 victory. “Needed to get some treatment on him, because [the elbow] was stiffening up a little bit, but as of right now, I think he’s fine.”

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Thomson said pulling Harper from the game was “more precautionary,” and added that he could have continued on if he really had to. Edmundo Sosa pinch-hit for Harper in the third inning and moved to third base. Utility man Kody Clemens moved from third base to first.

Harper told MLB.com late last month that he has been experiencing right elbow and wrist irritation. He said his wrist, which reportedly has bothered him since May, has been getting better. He told MLB.com that the elbow irritation was “just there” but added that it wasn’t related to the Tommy John surgery he underwent on his right elbow in 2022.

Before the game, Thomson addressed Harper’s playing through the pain. “I think my concerns lie with the concern of the trainers and Harp, and they don’t seem to have any concerns,” Thomson said. “I think it’s just something he’s got to play through and he’ll be fine.”

Thomson said he would talk to Harper on Thursday about taking a day or two off. Harper was asked after Wednesday’s game whether he felt there would be a benefit in that.

“No, I just don’t know how good I’ll feel if I take one or two days,” Harper said. “You know what I’m saying? I feel like I’ll feel the same if I do take two days off or anything like that.

“So, that’s a conversation we’ve had before, but I just feel like I’m going to feel the exact same if I do take two or three days off and come back. I’ll feel the same.”

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When asked if taking a day off hasn’t had much of an impact on him in the past, Harper said:

“Yeah, I mean, I feel like there’s times where you kind of feel worse because you’re not moving or anything like that. So, I think I’ve just got to keep it going.”

Harper was asked about his awkward swing on Tuesday night that caused him to wince, and said he chalked it up to swing and miss.

“It’s just swing and miss,” Harper said. “Foul balls, they don’t feel very good, and then it’s swing and miss.”

Harper added: “From what I understand, what’s going on, it’s not going to further injure me or anything like that. But swing and miss is going to happen. I’ll probably drop my bat and you guys will see it. Just know it’s just part of it. It’s not anything out of the ordinary.”