Bryce Harper placed on paternity list by Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies will be without first baseman Bryce Harper as they open their 10-game roadtrip in Cincinnati Monday.

Prior to this evening’s game at Great American Ballpark against the Reds, the Phillies announced that the two-time NL MVP has been placed on the paternity list. Harper and his wife, Kayla, revealed in an Instagram post in March that they were expecting their third child together. The couple have welcomed two children — four-year-old son Krew and three-year-old daughter Brooklyn — since he joined the Phillies in 2019.

With Harper unavailable for a few days, the Phillies recalled infielder Kody Clemens from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his place. Clemens was hitting .278 with three home runs and 11 RBIs for the IronPigs so far this season. The 27-year-old hit .230 with a .644 OPS in 47 games for the Phillies a year ago. Clemens’ return to the majors will likely be a brief one, but there’s a very real chance he’s back up with the team in some capacity later this season.

Meanwhile, Harper is hitting .241 with four home runs and a .773 OPS in what’s been a relatively slow start for the seven-time All-Star. However, he’s played excellent defense in his first full season at first base, with four defensive runs and four outs above average at the position thus far. Additionally, Harper’s top offensive performance so far this season came against the Reds on April 2, when he crushed three home runs in a 9-4 win at Citizens Bank Park

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