Bryce Harper walked off the field with an apparent hamstring strain after recording the final out for the Philadelphia Phillies in a 7-4 defeat to the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
After crossing first base, Harper clutched for his left hamstring and hobbled toward the dugout, hustling down the line to beat out a grounder to second. He will have hamstring testing on Friday.
After the game, Harper discussed the injury:
Harper commented on the hamstring issue, “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
Kyle Schwarber, a Philadelphia teammate, was also injured, leaving the game in the ninth inning due to left groin stiffness. Schwarber, who is generally a designated hitter, started in left field for only the third time this season.
The Phillies took a 3-0 lead when Harper hit an RBI double in the first inning. With the hit, Harper extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He was also chosen for his sixth All-Star Game on Thursday after receiving the most votes among National League players in the first round of fan voting.
Beyond Bryce Harper, the Phillies face injury worries.
Taijuan Walker, the Phillies’ starter, has struggled this season. Walker has struggled on the pitch this season and is now on the injured list.
“The Phillies have placed RHP Taijuan Walker on the 15-day injured list (backdated to June 22) due to right index finger inflammation.” RHP Michael Mercado was brought up from AAA Lehigh Valley to fill his position on the 26-man roster. Mercado will wear number 63.”
Walker has allowed 18 runs in his last five starts, totaling 29 1/3 innings worked. The right-hander has looked the worst he has in years. At the very least, the Phillies expected him to deliver a strong showing. He is now actively responsible for their team’s losses.
Having said that, his troubles this year could be due to a physiological issue. Injuries are a typical and valid explanation for a pitcher’s unexpected drop in performance. Perhaps the Phillies can use Walker’s time off to determine whether previous ailments are bothering him or if he requires a tune-up of any type.
Walker is the single weak link in the Phillies’ rotation. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have been their normal outstanding selves, with ERA+s of 148 and 114, respectively. The main star of the show is Ranger Suarez, who is having a breakout season. Suarez presently has an incredible 1.75 ERA, and signs point to this trend continuing.
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