Phillies provide encouraging timelines for Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber injuries

The Philadelphia Phillies may have dodged a bullet. A very large, scary bullet.

As superstar first baseman Bryce Harper limped off the field last night with what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury, everyone feared the worst. Those feelings of despair were only compounded by hearing that designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was also removed from the 7-4 loss to the Miami Marlins with a groin strain after playing left field for the third time this season.

While Phillies fans waited for updates on Friday, the Phillies were busy getting tests done on two huge pieces of the best team in baseball. The initial results are encouraging. Unsurprisingly, both Harper (left hamstring strain) and Schwarber (left groin strain) have been placed on the 10-day IL — but there's good news.

Phillies provide encouraging timelines for Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber injuries

According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, team sources indicated that both players have avoided serious injury (subscription required).

Phew. Take a breath. It's going to be alright.

Harper has a low-grade hamstring strain. Gelb implies that the Phillies might use the All-Star break as extra padding on the end of his recovery. That would mean a July 19 return date, the first game after the break and three weeks from today.

While the initial news is a relief, you don't just replace the National League's best player. Harper, undoubtedly the heart of the team, was only just named the starting first baseman for the NL All-Star team. That won't be happening.

His .303/.399/.582 slash line shows how dominant he has been. With 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 76 games, he has been at the top of the early NL MVP discussion. We'll see how much time he misses and if that affects his chances. The most important thing for the Phillies is getting him back on the field healthy for the team's push to win the NL East and be ready for the postseason.

Schwarber seems to have an even better prognosis. His strain is mild, and he could spend the minimum time on the injured list. His bat will still be missed at the top of the lineup for as long as he's out. The slugger is slashing .250/.373/.447 this season, with 17 home runs and 49 RBI in his 79 games.

According to MLB.com's Paul Casella, manager Rob Thomson said that both players could return before the All-Star break.

Phillies recall two from Triple-A

The Phillies have recalled infielder Kody Clemens and outfielder Johan Rojas from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill the open 26-man roster spots.

Clemens has played six games since beginning a rehab assignment after landing on the 10-day IL with back spasms at the beginning of June. He slashed .308/.308/.615 with two home runs, a pair of doubles and four RBI with the IronPigs.

Rojas put up an impressive .382/.417/.500 slash line in eight games since being demoted to Triple-A on June 17. He had a home run, three RBI and six stolen bases. Let's hope his success carries over to the majors this time around.