Bryce Harper out of the lineup with a bruised left hand; Phillies don’t think it’s serious

Just as Bryce Harper returned from the injured list, he’s out again.

It isn’t considered serious, according to team officials, but Harper bruised his left hand and wasn’t in the Phillies’ lineup Wednesday night against the Dodgers. The decision to hold him out was made after he took swings in the indoor batting cage at Citizens Bank Park.

“Just got to make sure he can swing efficiently,” manager Rob Thomson said before a verdict was rendered to move Alec Bohm to first base, start Edmundo Sosa at third, and keep Harper on the bench.

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Harper didn’t make himself available to the media before the game.

After a nine-game absence because of a strained left hamstring, Harper returned to the lineup Tuesday night but was nicked up in the first inning when a Freddie Freeman grounder hit him under the glove as he backhanded the ball.

Harper looked at his hand after the play but remained in the game. He exited after the sixth inning, but Thomson said it was because the Phillies had a 9-1 lead, not because Harper was complaining of an injury.

“He said he was fine,” Thomson said. “Really, when I took him out of the lineup, it wasn’t because of his hand or his legs or anything. We were up so many runs, I thought I’d get him off his feet.”

Thomson said Harper showed up “bruised and sore” a day later.

The Phillies entered play Wednesday with the best record in baseball (59-32) and a 7½-game lead in the National League East. They can afford, then, to be extra cautious with Harper — and any other player, for that matter, who is dealing with even a minor injury.

It’s possible Harper could return Thursday night. He has said he intends to play in the All-Star Game next week in Arlington, Texas.

Harper was cleared by the Phillies’ medical team to return after ramping up his running last week. But he also said he would take care to “play smart” in the final week before the All-Star break to assure that he didn’t push too hard before he was ready.

“Not throwing the cloak on, you know?” he said before the game. “Just understanding what I need to do to stay in the lineup.”

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But Harper also couldn’t help himself in his first at-bat back against the Dodgers. He hit a line drive to Freeman at first base and sprinted down the line at 29.1 feet per second, according to Statcast.

“That was the fastest he ran all year down there,” Thomson said, smiling.

Actually, according to MLB.com, it was the fastest Harper ran down the line since July 15, 2023.

A day later, he was back on the bench.

Center fielder Johan Rojas also wasn’t in the lineup after getting plunked on the right wrist in the seventh inning Tuesday night. But X-rays were deemed unnecessary, and Rojas’ absence was largely precautionary, according to Thomson.

“If this was a playoff game or anything like that,” Thomson said, “he’d be able to play.”

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Rojas is 7-for-31 (.226) with 10 strikeouts, one walk, three stolen bases, and a .531 OPS in nine games since returning from triple A. The Phillies must determine if Rojas is the answer in center field before choosing what to do at the July 30 trade deadline.

“He’s been getting on base a little more and stealing bases and creating some runs,” Thomson said. “Still a little bit of an overswing a little bit and chasing [pitches out of the strike zone] at times, but not as much as he was before. I feel pretty good about him.”

For the second consecutive year, the Phillies will have the 27th overall pick in the draft, which begins Sunday night.

“One of the things that we learned last year is that anybody can fall to you,” director of amateur scouting Brian Barber said. “You have to be prepared that you’re picking the 27th-best player on the board with the hope that someone you have evaluated at a higher level happens to fall down to you. And if they do, then you have to be prepared to take that player and you’ve done all the work there as well.”

Last year, for instance, infielder Aidan Miller might have been off the board earlier if not for a broken hand that caused him to miss much of his senior season in high school and fall into the Phillies’ lap at No. 27.

The Phillies will also have a second-round pick (63rd overall) for the first time since 2021.

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Taijuan Walker (finger) threw a bullpen session and “looked good to me,” according to Thomson. The veteran righty will throw in the bullpen again or pitch live batting practice Saturday. Thomson estimated that he will need four or five minor-league rehab starts before rejoining the Phillies’ rotation, likely in August. ... After being designated for assignment this week, outfielder David Dahl cleared waivers and elected free agency. ... Aaron Nola (10-4, 3.48 ERA) will start Thursday night against Dodgers rookie righty Landon Knack (1-2, 2.86).