The Philadelphia Phillies will welcome back two regulars tonight to kick off the last homestand of the first half. The Philadelphia Phillies have activated designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper ahead of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies will rejoice at the news. Manager Rob Thomson earlier indicated on Sunday while the squad was still in Atlanta that Schwarber would definitely return tonight, but Harper’s homecoming was still uncertain at the time.
Phillies eventually cut slumping outfielder to make place for Schwarber, Harper off injured list.
In the matching roster moves, the Phillies designated struggling outfielder David Dahl for assignment and optioned infielder Kody Clemens back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Neither move is very surprising.
Dahl started well in his first 15 plate appearances after being promoted from Triple-A on June 3, batting.333/.333/.867 with two home runs and three RBI. Since then, he has fallen into a deep slump, hitting.163 with a.446 OPS in 47 plate appearances.
Clemens delivered on the team’s expectations by filling in for Harper at first against right-handed pitchers. He only hit.217/.250/.304 in his seven games with the big club, but with a season line of.242/.277/.500, he’s sure to receive another chance when a spot comes up.
Schwarber and Harper return to the lineup following a minimum stay on the injured list.
While the team has only been without the two elite hitters since June 28, losing two top-of-the-order bats such as Schwarber and Harper has had an influence on the entire offence. It is impossible that it could not. Despite their absence, the team finished 5-4 and maintained an 8.0-game division lead.
Both players were placed on the 10-day disabled list on the same day, Schwarber with a slight groin strain and Harper with a left hamstring strain. The Phillies were fortunate to avoid injury, as both players spent the shortest amount of time on the injured list.
Schwarber has been slashing in 79 games this season.250/.373/.447 with 17 home runs, 49 RBI, and 60 runs scored from the lead-off position.
Harper, who was voted in as the starting NL first baseman for the upcoming All-Star Game while on the bench, is producing MVP-caliber stats this season. He’s slicing.In 76 games, he hit 303/.399/.582, including 20 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Leave a Reply