Bryce Harper’s horrifying fall, caught on camera in the Phillies’ dugout in the first inning of Saturday’s 12-4 loss, wasn’t the reason he was left out of Sunday’s lineup.
At least not the main reason.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Sunday was a planned day off for Harper, two hours before the series finale against the Braves.
“Really, this day was a scheduled day off anyway just because he hadn’t played much in the spring,” he said. “Then he fell into the camera.
“It was kind of planned. He didn’t play much at the end of spring training. He only played two games in the last eight days or something.
“I haven’t seen him today, but he felt really good last night.”
Harper scraped his left hand while playing, but remained in the game through seven innings. He was removed from the top of the eighth inning as the game got out of hand. Thomson expects to be in the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott.
After two ugly games to start the season, the Phillies’ decision to sit Harper against a top division rival looks decidedly odd. However, Harper did not play in any Grapefruit League games from March 14 to March 23 as he dealt with stiffness in his back. He stayed busy throughout camp, training early every day with infield coach Bobby Dickerson in his new position at first base in Clearwater, and started nine of 14 games during the first two weeks of March. He returned to action for the final three games of the spring.
“It’s part of trying to take care of them,” Thomson said of why Harper and Bryson Stott were left out of the lineup against Chris Sale. “We have two days off in the first month, so it’s like spring training without the extra 44 players. And against left-handed pitchers, we think we’re just going to bring in other guys and protect them. They are not necessarily like that.” need Off day. “
Thomson wasn’t sure before the game whether Harper would come off the bench.
It is highly likely that the matchup with Sale had an effect. He’s one of the funkiest, toughest left-handers in the game, and has held the same hitters to a career .203/.256/.278 line.
“It’s the arm slot and the wide slider. Against right-handed pitchers, it starts all the way outside the plate and comes back to the plate. You have to be able to really see that, and when you don’t see the whole thing. , you have to be able to see that.’It can be tough sometimes,” Thomson said. “But we have a (pitch tracker) downstairs. We’re trying to hook it up and get as many eyes as possible.”
