We’ve all done it. It’s much more convenient to lie when somebody asks if you are OK.
The stakes are a little bit higher, however, when you’re a superstar like Bryce Harper. Playing through pain is part of being an athlete, but health is also wealth. At $330 million, we can all acknowledge that Harper is a bargain, but the seven remaining years left on the deal could be very uncomfortable if he is continually battling injuries.
Uncomfortable is a great word to describe how Harper has looked since the start of the second half. Once a 2024 NL MVP candidate, Harper struggled like he never had before. From July 19 to Aug 22, Harper slashed .203/.252/.374 with five home runs and 12 RBIs.
He still hasn’t homered since Aug. 9, but the results have been better. Harper has recorded a hit in 10 of his last 12 games with an at-bat and has a .945 OPS in that span. Harper also has 18 batted balls in play at over 95 mph in that same stretch, including 12 at over 100 mph.
Hard hit balls are usually a good indicator of health for a hitter. Another good indicator is a little more obvious: Is he writhing in pain when he takes a swing?
That was the case in his last at-bat on Tuesday. He took an uncomfortable 2-2 swing in the ninth inning, then dropped his bat as he whiffed at strike three. Manager Rob Thomson checked in afterwards and the cameras showed Harper assuring him that he’s OK.
Things got a bit worse a day later when he was hit in the left elbow with a 93 mph fastball in the first inning. He left the game a couple innings later with a bruise. With both of his elbows in some sort of discomfort, the Phillies decided to give him the rest of the afternoon off.
Thomson eased concerns about Harper after the game, telling reporters present in Toronto that the Phillies took him out as a precaution because the left elbow that was hit was stiffening up.
He is in the starting lineup for Thursday’s game against the Marlins.
“I think he could have continued on if we really had to,” Thomson told reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow about it, see if he needs a day or two days. Whatever it takes, really, just to make sure he’s OK to play.”
When asked if he thinks a couple days off could be useful, Harper gave an interesting answer.
“No, I just don’t know how good I’ll feel if I take one or two days,” Harper told reporters, including Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “You know what I’m saying? I feel like I’ll feel the same if I do take two days off or anything like that.”
Harper went on to add that there were times in the past where off days actually made him feel worse because, ” … you’re not moving or anything like that. So, I think I’ve just got to keep it going.”
It’s interesting. Many fans are clamoring for Harper to take the time off and address whatever is bothering him. Immediately after the Braves series would have seemed like a good time given they were set to play two against the Blue Jays, four against the Marlins and three against the Rays before a big home series against the Mets. If all he needs are 10 days, an IL stint beginning on Sept. 2 and ending on the 13th would have made the most sense.
But if Harper and the Phillies medical staff really believed that 10 days — or even a little more than that — was the cure to all that was ailing him, wouldn’t they have gone through with this plan already?
The Phillies were proactive in 2022 when they placed Zack Wheeler on the injured list on Aug. 22 with right forearm tendinitis. Wheeler didn’t come back on Sept. 6 like he was expected to, but he was at his best when it mattered most. He allowed only one run through his last three regular season starts and carried that momentum into the playoffs. In six starts, Wheeler had a 2.78 ERA in the 2022 postseason and could have been the NLCS MVP if not for “Bedlam at the Bank.”
Wheeler’s absence came as the Phillies were looking to snap an 11-year postseason drought. Not making the playoffs that season could have led to major consequences. Thomson probably would have retired instead of signing an extension during the Division Series and maybe the Phillies aren’t as all-in as they are now.
Despite all of that, the Phillies decided against pushing Wheeler and were rewarded for it.
That is what’s at stake for the Phillies, who understand better than most teams that the health matters more than anything. The training staff, according to Harper, believes he’s not at risk of further injuring himself by continuing to play. He did admit to reporters that there could be a time where rest is necessary, but that could come after the Phillies wrap up a playoff berth and probably the National League East.
So if Harper and the training staff say he’s OK and doesn’t need a day off, he’s probably right, even if our eyes tell us no. He might not really be OK — almost nobody is at this time of year. But Harper, a 13-year veteran, has been through this before. All parties involve know that being healthy in October is all that matters. Losing sight of that could be detrimental to the Phillies’ chances.
In the meantime, expect to see some more uncomfortable swings.
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