Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Phillies Nuggets: Latest updates on Bryce Harper, Jean Segura

Bryce Harper is currently on the injured list. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Bryce Harper’s fractured left thumb will be reevaluated Monday, Philadelphia Phillies’ interim manager Rob Thomson said before the team opened up a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs Friday.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post had previously reported that Harper would meet next week with Pedro Beredjiklian, who performed the surgery on June 29 after the seven-time All-Star was hit by a pitch by San Diego Padres’ starter Blake Snell.

Thomson said that it’s “possible” that Harper has the three pins inserted during the procedure removed on Monday.

Whenever Harper does indeed have the pins removed from his left thumb, not only will he be able to progress as a hitter again, but the Phillies will be able to gauge whether the PRP injection that he received in his right elbow in Los Angeles on May 15 in Los Angeles was successful.

Harper said after his thumb surgery that he would give his right elbow a few more weeks until he could fit a glove on his left hand and attempt to play catch. The hope is that the PRP injection helped to heal the small tear in his right UCL, and he can avoid surgery on it, be it Tommy John or another procedure.

Whether Harper is able to return to right field or not in 2022, he’s vowed to come back in some form before the conclusion of the season.

“I don’t wanna hope or think about anything, I just wanna go day by day and be back when I can, whenever I feel healthy. … If we’re in it, if we’re out of it, I’m going to come back and play no matter what, just so I know I can go out there and play the game. I don’t want that to be my last day playing this year, that game in San Diego. So no matter what the outcome is, I’m gonna come back and I’ll be playing.”

The 29-year-old was putting together another MVP-caliber campaign prior to fracturing the thumb, as he was slashing .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .985 OPS.

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Let Me Tell You Something, Mean Jean

Jean Segura (broken right index finger) told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki Friday that he’s hopeful that he can begin a rehab appearance next week while the Phillies are on a six-game roadtrip from July 28-Aug. 3.

The 32-year-old added that he believes it’s possible he could return to the Phillies’ lineup when they return from that roadtrip on Aug. 4. He’s eligible to come off of the 60-day injured list on Aug. 3, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

Thomson didn’t seem married to the timeline that Segura projected, but the Phillies do remain pleased with how he’s progressed from an injury that initially seemed like it could put him out until September.

“Well, he’s making progress. That might be a little bit aggressive, but we’ll see how he does,” Thomson said. “I hope he is, I really do. But we’ll see how he does. And today, he’s doing a full workout. I don’t know that he threw yet, but he’s supposed to throw and hit on the field, take batting practice … a full workout just like he’s getting ready for a game. And then by the end of the weekend, we may have a rehab assignment plan for him.”

In the final guaranteed year of his contract, Segura was slashing .275/.324/.407 with six home runs and 19 RBIs before he fractured his right index finger while trying to lay down a bunt in late May.

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Phillies Set Rotation Order

Kyle Gibson will get the ball for the Phillies on Friday evening against the Cubs, with Zack Wheeler slated to pitch on Saturday. That we knew heading into the All-Star Break.

Thomson said Friday that Bailey Falter will be recalled to start on Sunday, pitching in Zach Eflin’s spot in the rotation. Falter will be followed by Ranger Suárez on Monday against the Atlanta Braves, and Aaron Nola on Tuesday.

In setting their rotation to start the second half, the Phillies kept the workloads of Wheeler and Nola in mind. Wheeler led baseball with 213 1/3 innings pitched in 2021. Nola is second in innings pitched this season at 126 2/3.

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Phillies Continue To Be Unsure When Zach Eflin Will Return

Phillies’ righty Zach Eflin had an MRI on his right knee Monday, which showed no structural damage. However, Eflin still feels soreness in the knee, leaving him with an uncertain timetable to return.

“So we decided to go to this really aggressive strengthening program around the knee to try and support the knee,” Thomson said. “He’ll continue to play catch … continue to build up his arm strength. We don’t have a timeline on him, but we’ll try to strengthen around the knee and then once we feel like he’s recovering on a daily basis, then we’ll start doing agilities, PFP and get him up on the mound. So we fully expect him to pitch.”

Prior to last Saturday’s win over the Miami Marlins, Eflin threw 59 total pitches, when you count his bullpen, warm-ups and throwing to a couple batters. Eflin came in sore the next day, and the Phillies scrapped plans for the 28-year-old to throw a simulated game over the All-Star Break.

While the Phillies had previously said that Eflin had a bruise on the fat pad under his right patellar tendon, he’s now feeling some soreness above his right knee, with Thomson saying that “it’s more muscular” currently. So the Phillies will attempt to strengthen the area above Eflin’s right knee, which he’s had surgery on twice, including last September.

One would think that with uncertainty surrounding when Eflin will return — assuming that he does — adding another starting pitcher has become perhaps the No. 1 priority for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in advance of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.