Phillies Notes: Update on Harper, Herrera returns to leadoff spot

Bryce Harper (right elbow strain) will throw once again before Wednesday’s game. Manager Joe Girardi said that Harper has passed all the necessary tests in the training room. What really matters, however, is how his arm responds when he is throwing. He’s not at 100%, but that won’t stop Harper from trying.

“His question in his mind is is it from not throwing or do I still need a little bit more time,” Girardi said before Wednesday’s game. “We said, ‘Listen, if you feel it, you gotta stop.’ That’s the bottom line. And as I told him today, I said, ‘We don’t want it to affect your hitting and if you have to wait another week to restart throwing again, we’ll wait another week. It’s not a big deal.”

Girardi also went on to say that he has no concerns if he has to use Harper as a DH for more than a month.

“I want his bat in the lineup,” Girardi said. “We want his bat in the lineup. That’s the important thing. You might have to spell Schwarber and Castellanos a day or two more than you would normally.”

Could Harper get a shot?

The short answer is no. There are no plans for Harper to receive a cortisone shot to help deal with the pain in his elbow.

“That’s the doctor and the player’s choice. … That is not something we talked about,” Girardi said.

Herrera returns to the leadoff spot

Jean Segura will get a day off on Wednesday. Odúbel Herrera, at least for Wednesday, will replace him at the top of the order. Girardi said he wants to keep the lineup relatively the same without Segura in it. He doesn’t have to worry too much about lefties in the Rockies bullpen since Ty Blach is the only one they have.

Herrera received the majority of the at-bats as the team’s leadoff hitter and the results were poor. While he did slug .433 with 10 home runs in the No. 1 spot, Herrera got on-base at a .287 clip.

What does Girardi like about Herrera in the leadoff spot?

“I mean he can be pretty energizing,” Girardi said. “You know at times, he’s done a really good job up there and he hit there last year. He’s familiar with it.”

Update on Mickey Moniak

Mickey Moniak (broken right hand) has been on the injured list since the beginning of the season. He was hit in the hand with a pitch in his final Grapefruit League at-bat of the season. It was a tough break for Moniak, who would have been the team’s Opening Day starter in center field.

Moniak is not quite ready to begin swinging yet. The team will re-evaluate him at the end of the homestand.

Here’s the Phillies lineup for the third game of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

1. Odúbel Herrera, center field
2. Rhys Hoskins, first base
3. Bryce Harper, designated hitter
4. Nick Castellanos, right field
5. Kyle Schwarber, left field
6. Alec Bohm, third base
7. Didi Gregorius, shortstop
8. Johan Camargo, second base
9. Garrett Stubbs, catcher

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