In a 7-4 loss to the Marlins, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both went down with injuries, casting a shadow over the team with the best record in the majors.
Harper, fresh off being elected to his eighth All-Star Game, felt his left hamstring tighten as he sprinted to first base on the game’s final play. The slugger grabbed the back of his leg and briefly fell to the ground after crossing the bag. Despite the Phillies challenging the call on his groundout, Harper didn’t wait for the replay review and instead limped straight down the tunnel.
“It hurts,” Harper told reporters. “We’re going to get an image tomorrow, just to see what that looks like, see how I feel, and go from there.”
Harper said he's never had a soft tissue issue before, so he couldn't compare the pain to anything he's felt previously.
"I've never felt anything like this before," Harper said.
As for Schwarber, he experienced tightness in his groin after making a throw from the outfield in the top of the ninth. Typically a designated hitter, Schwarber was playing in the field for just the third time this season.
“Personally, I don’t think it’ll be super bad at all,” Schwarber said. “But we’ll see what happens.”
The injuries to Harper and Schwarber came hours after the club placed Spencer Turnbull on the injured list with a strained right lat. He could be out of commission until August.
“I feel like this team over the last couple years, we’ve had to go
through a lot of different things where guys have had to step up and
fill in spots and did a great job,” Schwarber said.
The Phillies expect to have more information about Harper and Schwarber on Friday.
