The Philadelphia Phillies earned a huge shutout win over the Atlanta Braves in Tuesday’s series opener. The biggest storyline to come out of the game was Bryce Harper’s health.
Harper came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Braves starter Spencer Strider was making just his third start of the 2025 season after missing nearly all of last year and the beginning of this year as he recovered from UCL surgery. The 2023 All-Star has faced command issues as he returns from his elbow injury and a setback with a hamstring injury after his first start on April 16.
On just the second pitch of the at-bat, Harper was drilled in his surgically repaired right elbow by a 95 mph fastball. He immediately went toward the Phillies’ dugout and fell to a knee in pain before exiting the game. Phillies fans let Strider hear it, filling the ballpark with boos.
“I’m not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy,” Strider said about hitting Harper in Tuesday’s first inning, per the Associated Press’ Dan Gelston. “I do feel bad for him, to see a person in pain that I caused.”
Fortunately, Harper’s X-ray came back negative. It remains to be seen if the Phillies’ superstar will miss any time.
Spencer Strider is still public enemy No. 1 in Philly after hitting Bryce Harper
Strider has now hit four batters in his first three games, including two hit batters during his previous start against the Washington Nationals on May 20. He’s walked six batters, including four in 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies.
Typically, pitchers don’t hit batters on purpose in today’s game. However, when a pitch hits a star player like Harper, the intention is questioned.
“Certainly not trying to hit him,” Strider said after the game. “I thought in the moment, I just assumed he had a guard on and was just pissed that I hit him. Saw him in pain. That was tough. I’m definitely relieved he’s OK. He’s one of the best players this century. He needs to be on the field. It’s best for the game. It’s good for us, good to compete against him.”
Whether he meant it or not, Strider added another reason for Phillies fans not to like him. The 26-year-old jokingly said he prefers no fans at sporting events during a TikTok interview in 2023, so Phillies fans terrorized him a few weeks later during the NLDS.
Strider took the mound in a win-or-go-home situation at Citizens Bank Park. The fans and media mocked and heckled Strider about the crowd being too loud leading up to his start and throughout the game. An already daunting home-field advantage became even more advantageous.
Strider allowed seven hits, three earned runs, all off solo home runs and three walks in 5 2/3 innings in that playoff game. The 90-win Phillies went on to eliminate the 104-win Braves from the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
It’s safe to say that this rivalry is one of the most intense in baseball. Expect some sort of retaliation by the Phillies at some point during the remainder of this series in support of Harper.