PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies placed All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber on the 10-day injured list after both were hurt in Thursday night’s 7-4 loss to Miami.
Harper strained his left hamstring running the bases in the ninth inning, and Schwarber strained his left groin making a throw from left field in the eighth.
“Bummed to go on the IL,” Harper said before Friday’s game against the Marlins. “Never wanted that to happen, obviously. But it was the best decision for our team. Hopefully get back in the smartest way possible and quickest way as well.”
Harper wouldn’t specify a timetable for his return, only saying he hopes to be back as soon as possible.
“I really don’t like putting timetables on myself,” he said. “I’m going to try to get back and get my body intact the best way I can and the best way I know how and quickest way possible. Everybody’s bodies are different. I’m going to do my thing to get myself back.
“I don’t want to put timelines on anything. I’m not that type of person. I want to beat every timeline out there.”
There was some relief for Harper that the injury wasn’t worse.
“Anything can probably be worse,” he said. “I’m definitely happy with the outcome, the happiest I can be. The best outcome would be it’s just sore and I’m back in there today. So, not the best outcome.”
The injuries will test the Phillies, who’ve had a hugely successful first half of the season. Philadelphia entered Friday with the majors’ best record (53-28) and leading Atlanta by eight games in the NL East.
“Next man up mentality,” Harper said. “We’ve done a great job of that all year long. Pony up, cowboy up, play the game.”
Harper, named to his eighth All-Star team earlier Thursday, was trying to beat out a grounder with two outs. He reached for the back of his left hamstring just after touching the bag, then limped a few steps before going to the ground. Harper immediately headed to the clubhouse while the Phillies were challenging the call that Harper was out on the play.
He said the soreness wasn’t much different when he woke up on Friday compared to Thursday night.
“Pretty similar,” he said.
The two-time MVP is batting .303 with 20 homers and 58 RBIs. He extended his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games with an RBI double in the first inning on Thursday.
Harper is near the top of the NL in several categories, including average (fifth), homers (third), RBIs (fourth), on-base percentage (.399, fifth), slugging percentage (.582, second) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.981, second).
Schwarber was injured while throwing to second base from shallow left field in the eighth inning after charging Otto Lopez’s grounder that got past shortstop Edmundo Sosa. He is batting .250 with 17 homers and 49 RBIs and leads the NL with 59 walks. Schwarber was playing the outfield for just the third time this season.
To take Harper and Schwarber’s places on the roster, the Phillies recalled infielder Kody Clemens and outfielder Johan Rojas from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
