Phillies’ Bryce Harper sidelined Saturday with a blister on his left hand
After Harper delivered a game-tying two-run double Friday night, a blister on his left hand near his index finger became infected. He's considered day-to-day.
WASHINGTON — Try as they might, the Washington Nationals couldn’t take the bat out of Bryce Harper’s hands in the eighth inning Friday night.
A day later, a blister did the trick.
Harper wasn’t in the Phillies’ lineup Saturday after a blister at the base of his left index finger flared up and became infected. He was getting treatment, including antibiotics, and is considered as day-to-day, according to interim manager Rob Thomson.
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“It kind of blew up on him overnight,” Thomson said. “I planned on playing him [Saturday], but had to scratch him.”
Consider it just about the first thing that hasn’t gone as planned for the Phillies in two weeks under Thomson.
Harper went 3-for-4 with a walk in a 5-3 victory in the opener of Friday’s day-night doubleheader. He didn’t start the nightcap, although Thomson said it was a planned breather. Harper came up as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and would’ve walked on four pitches. But home plate umpire Clinton Vondrak missed a ball-four call. Harper hit a game-tying, two-run double on the next pitch.
“I wasn’t very happy,” said Harper, still peeved after the game. “It worked out, right? It worked out.”
With Harper out of the lineup, Nick Castellanos took a turn as the designated hitter and Matt Vierling played right field.
If Harper doesn’t play in Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals, the Phillies could give him three consecutive days off before opening a two-game series Tuesday night in Texas.
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Harper is batting .326 and slugging .622 with a .391 on-base percentage, 21 doubles, 15 homers, and 48 RBIs. Through Friday, he was tied with St. Louis’ Paul Goldschmidt for the league lead in extra-base hits (37).
In praise of Dusty
One day after veteran third base coach Dusty Wathan alertly waved Rhys Hoskins home because he realized obstruction would be called on Nationals shortstop Luis García, Thomson advocated for him to eventually get hired as a manager.
“This guy’s a fantastic baseball mind, and I hope that, when manager jobs come up, he’s on the tip of every general manager’s tongue. I really do,” Thomson said. “Because he’s that type of baseball mind as far as I’m concerned.”
If an umpire believes a fielder has obstructed the path of a runner, the rule allows the umpire to use his judgment to award the runner “whatever base he would’ve reached had the obstruction not occurred,” according to crew chief Dan Iassogna. Wathan knew the rule and shouted at Hoskins to keep running even though he would’ve been out at the plate by about 30 feet.
“Rhys knows the rule. We’ve gone over stuff like that before,” Wathan said. “It helps to know the rules sometimes.”
Wathan has been the Phillies’ third base coach since 2018 after 10 years as a minor league manager. He interviewed for the Phillies managerial job that went to Gabe Kapler after the 2017 season.
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Norwood traded
The Phillies traded reliever James Norwood to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations.
Norwood, acquired near the end of spring training from the San Diego Padres, posted an 8.31 ERA in 17 ⅓ innings over 20 appearances. He’s out of minor league options and was designated for assignment last week.
Extra bases
Hoskins got a planned day off Saturday. Third baseman Alec Bohm started at first base, while Yairo Muñoz played third. ... The Nationals retired Ryan Zimmerman’s No. 11 in a 70-minute pregame ceremony. Among the guests: former Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth. Zimmerman batted .271 with 27 homers, 115 RBIs, and a .799 OPS in 213 games against the Phillies over the last 16 years. ... Friday’s sweep was the Phillies’ first in a nine-inning doubleheader since Sept. 9, 2012, against Colorado. ... Sunday’s game will be televised exclusively on Peacock, which is free to Philadelphia-area Comcast subscribers who have X1 boxes. ... Zach Eflin (2-4, 3.98 ERA) will start Sunday against Nationals right-hander Jackson Tetreault (0-1, 15.75).