Jun 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) looks on during an injury delay in the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
PITTSBURGH - The Phillies are usually very timely with putting their lineup out for that day's game.
It's often posted the minute the clubhouse opens to the media pregame and many times leads to questions from the media once manager Rob Thomson is made available.
On Friday, at PNC Park, it was delayed.
The general assumption was the Phillies were waiting to see if J.T. Realmuto, who took a foul ball to the nether regions on Wednesday night, was good enough to go.
Well, Realmuto is in the lineup. But, he's not the reason the release was being held up.
Nope. It was because Bryce Harper was not going to play.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Harper has a sore right wrist that is bothering him when he swings.
"It's been sore for awhile and he's been fighting through it," Thomson said to the media after wrapping up a meeting with general manager Preston Mattingly.
Rob Thomson explains why Bryce Harper isn’t in the lineup tonight.
(Via @AntSanPhilly) pic.twitter.com/s6zz2655NM
The Phillies manager said he didn't notice anything affecting Harper's swing per se in the past few games, but that doesn't allay his concern.
"I've said it many times, any time with feet or hands it scares me," Thomson said. "It can affect guys' swings. Whether they want to admit that or not, I think it does."
Harper missed five games last week after getting plunked on the right elbow by Spencer Strider. He returned Tuesday in Toronto and hit a home run on his first at bat.
However after that, Harper went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts the rest of the series. He did walk twice.
Thomson insists the injury happened a while ago, but didn't have an exact date. He did say it was feeling worse today than at any other point this season, thus pulling him from the lineup.
The injury did exist previous to getting hit by Strider's fastball, but that doesn't mean whatever Harper was dealing with previously isn't exacerbating itself further post being hit.
Time will be the ultimate determinant here, and a further update on Harper is expected by Saturday - if not sooner.
