On Sunday at loan Depot Park, Bryce Harper, who was serving as the designated hitter, missed on his first swing against Miami’s starter, Edward Cabrera, and visibly winced in pain.
“I mentioned a few days ago that missing a swing would hurt,” Harper said, referring to his elbow and wrist discomfort. “It’s something that might persist for the rest of the season. Just part of it.”
In the seventh inning, Harper hit a deep fly ball to left field that hit the top of the wall for a double. It was close to being a home run, which would have ended his 109-plate appearance homer drought. Despite the near-miss, the result of the game—a 10-1 loss—would not have changed.
“I’ll take hits however I can get them right now,” Harper noted. “Home runs will come. It’s been a while, but I’m having good swings and seeing positive results. We just need to keep pushing.”
Harper emphasized the need for the team to keep focused and not dwell on the Magic Number. “We need to keep playing hard,” he said. “There are two strong teams behind us. We have games against the Mets coming up, so we need to stay healthy and keep grinding.”
However, injuries continue to impact the Phillies.
Infielder Edmundo Sosa was added to the 10-day injured list before Sunday’s game with back issues. Manager Rob Thomson explained that Sosa experienced discomfort while preparing to hit and it worsened after further activity.
To fill Sosa’s spot, the Phillies called up right-hander Seth Johnson, who made his Major League debut on Sunday.
In addition to Sosa, third baseman Alec Bohm (hand) and outfielder Austin Hays (kidney infection) were placed on the injured list during the series. Catcher J.T. Realmuto also missed the last two games after a pitch struck his knee.
Realmuto reported significant improvement and Thomson suggested he could return in a couple of days, possibly during the Mets series.
With Harper as DH, the Phillies rearranged their lineup: Kody Clemens played first base, Kyle Schwarber moved to left field, Weston Wilson took third base, and Aramis Garcia was behind the plate.
**Upcoming Games:** The Phillies start a homestand on Monday with a three-game series against the Rays. Tampa Bay has yet to name a starter for the opener against LHP Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 4.45). The matchups for the series include RHP Taj Bradley (6-10, 4.40) against LHP Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.90) on Tuesday, and RHP Shane Baz (2-3, 3.27) against RHP Zack Wheeler (14-6, 2.59) on Wednesday. All games start at 6:40 p.m.
