Bryce Harper gives injury update Phillies fans won’t want to hear
Harper has shed some light on his recent struggles at the plate.
In recent weeks, Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper has appeared to be in a bit of a funk at the plate. Not only is he not hitting with authority like he did earlier in the season, but something just hasn't seemed right for the two-time NL MVP.
We may have the answer now as to what has been ailing the star first baseman, and it’s something that Phillies fans probably don’t want to hear. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, Harper has been hampered by both wrist and elbow issues. Apparently, his wrist has been bothering him since all the way back in May, but his elbow ailment is more recent.
Bryce Harper gives injury update Phillies fans won’t want to hear
On Friday following the Phillies 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, Harper explained how he has been grinding through it all.
“I don’t want to make excuses for what I do,” Harper said, per Zolecki. “You know what I’m saying? I’ve just got to get through it. Hopefully it gets better, rather than getting worse. [The wrist’s] finally getting to the point where I feel like it’s turning a corner. My elbow is just, like, there … Sometimes you’ve got to play through crap … You know? All good.”
For those who were worried that his current injury in his right elbow had any relation to his previous Tommy John surgery, Harper quickly clarified that speculation.
It’s not the ligament,” he said. “It’s in that area. But it’s not the ligament, so that’s a good thing.”
As to whether he will be fully recovered when playoff season comes around in October, Harper believes everything will be good to go no matter what.
“I just have to. That’s it. It’s part of the game. It’s part of the process of going through a season. Just got to stay the course, understand that I rely heavily on my body. I’ve just got to go,” Harper said.
After posting a solid .301 average, .983 OPS with 21 doubles, 21 home runs and 61 RBI over 81 games prior to the All-Star break, Harper has struggled to a .237 average, .706 OPS with just five home runs and 15 RBI over 39 games since then entering Sunday's game. He hasn't hit a home run since Aug. 9 — 80 plate appearances ago.
To say that the Phillies and their faithful weren’t worried about his production is certainly an understatement, as they truly need Harper in his usual dominant form to help the team succeed down the stretch and into the playoffs. Nevertheless, if Harper believes that he can get through it all, we should have that same confidence and believe in him too.
Despite his recent power outage, at least Harper has appeared to be starting to turn things around at the plate with 13 hits in his past 10 games. Hopefully, it will be a first step in the right direction for the eight-time All-Star. Otherwise, the Phillies will undoubtedly be in for a rough ride to close out the season.
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