Philadelphia Phillies to Place 2 All-Stars on Injured List
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 21: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Trea Turner #7 and Bryce Harper #3 after hitting a solo home run against Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning in Game Five of the National League Championship Series at Chase Field on October 21, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Harper and Schwarber are going on the IL.
The National League-leading Philadelphia Phillies are placing two key players on the injured list.
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are going on the injured list on Friday, per the Athletic's Matt Gelb. However, both have reportedly avoided significant injuries.
Harper, who just earned an All-Star nod after receiving the most votes in the NL, has a low-grade hamstring strain, according to Gelb. Schwarber reportedly has a mild groin strain. Both will be going on the 10-day injured list, but aren't expected to miss significant time.
Harper suffered his injury at the end of the team's 7-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Harper ran out a game-ending groundout in the ninth inning but pulled up and clutched his left hamstring. It didn't look good, and Harper didn't exactly have reassuring words after the game.
"I've never felt anything like this before," Harper said to reporters after the game. "It hurts."
Fortunately, it shouldn't keep Harper out too long, as he's been one of the leading catalysts for the NL-best Phillies. In 76 games, Harper is slashing .303/.399/.582 with 20 home runs, 58 RBIs, and an OPS of .981. He's set to start at first base in the Midsummer Classic if he's able to play in the game.
As for Schwarber, he felt tightness in his groin after making a throw in the top of the ninth inning. This was just the third time this season he was in the outfield.
"I reached down to grab the ball barehanded and kind of planted for the throw and felt it grab," Schwarber said after the game. "I thought it was just a cramp at first and I finished the inning. But, as I was running in I could still kind of feel it, so I talked to the trainer and he didn't like where the spot was ... so he wanted to get me out of there."
Schwarber, too, is now going on the IL, which is another massive blow for Philadelphia. Schwarber is in the midst of another impressive season, slashing .250/.373/.447 with 17 home runs, 49 RBIs, and an OPS of .820.
The Phillies enter Friday with an eight-game lead in the NL East over the second-place Atlanta Braves. However, the Braves have won nine of their 14 games, and host the Phillies next weekend for what could be a crucial three-game series. Both Harper and Scwarber will be out for the entirety of the series.
More news: Phillies Lose Breakout Pitcher to Injured List for Foreseeable Future
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