TODAY: Harper left the game due to tightness in his lower back. Girardi told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters that Harper may not play in today’s game, although Harper’s recurring back problems are not seen as a long-term issue. . “I think he will be a player for us on Friday”Said Girardi, referring to the upcoming Philadelphia game.
JUNE 15: Phillies Star Voltigeur Bryce harper was pulled from tonight’s game against the Dodgers in the fourth inning, reports Matt Gelb from The Athletic. “Looks like he injured his back on a swing,” Gelb said.
Harper was day-to-day with lower back tightness at one point in mid-April, but only took a day off for the problem. He suffered a terrifying injury later that month, taking a Genesis Cabrera fast ball on his left cheek. He actually avoided IL immediately after it, facing various nagging injuries until the Phillies put him on the shelf for a bruised left forearm in late May. Phils manager Joe Girardi hasn’t been particularly open during this time, so who knows what we’ll have on Harper’s latest injury. The Phillies, 4.5 games back in both the NL East and the Wild Card as of this writing, can’t afford Harper’s extended absence.
Meanwhile, we learned today that Phillies shortstop Didi Gregory was slow to recover from an elbow injury due to what is called “pseudogout”. According to the Mayo Clinic, pseudogout is “a form of arthritis characterized by sudden, painful swelling in one or more of your joints.” Gregorius last played for the Phillies on May 12.