The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a bit of a scare earlier this week when superstar slugger Bryce Harper took a 95-mph fastball to the arm against the Atlanta Braves. It sparked no small amount of controversy between the two NL East rivals despite Spencer Strider's visibly distraught reaction to his pitch straying too far inside. Scans came back negative for any serious injury and Harper was diagnosed with an elbow contusion that left him in a lot of pain but didn't seem set to hold him out very long.
Harper missed the rest of Tuesday's game after getting hurt, and Wednesday was an off day. On Thursday manager Rob Thompson provided a positive update on his star player that suggests a return is close.
"Not sure," Thompson said when asked if Harper would play in back half of Thursday's doubleheader between the Phillies and Braves. "But he's doing better. He came in yesterday for treatment, he's in there now, I believe. Still had swelling, still was in pain. But it was a lot better than we had expected. He's making progress."
Rob Thomson explains why Bryce Harper is not in the lineup for Game 1 of Phillies-Braves. He says Harper is making progress.@KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/uS1uMr5D1K
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) May 29, 2025
Per The Athletic's Matt Gelb, Thompson went on to say Harper might be available for Game 2 but was "probably" not in play to pinch hit in the first leg of the doubleheader.
It's obviously a big relief for Philly for Harper to be so close to returning to the lineup. He's hitting .267 from the plate so far this season with eight home runs and 33 RBI, with Philadelphia tied for the second-best record in baseball.
It sounds unlikely fans will see Harper this afternoon with Game 1 set to begin at 1:05 p.m. ET, but Thursday night's 6:45 p.m. first pitch is in play.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Phillies Manager Offers Positive Bryce Harper Injury Update Ahead of Divisional Clash.
