Latest news with #SpencerStrider
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Phillies slugger Bryce Harper remains day-to-day with bruised right elbow
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper remains day-to-day as he continues to recover from a bruised right elbow, leaving his return to the lineup uncertain. Harper was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider during the first inning on Tuesday. Although X-rays indicated no fracture, Harper described the injury as 'still super sore' and has yet to resume swinging a bat.
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
As feared, Braves' AJ Smith-Shawver diagnosed with torn UCL
ATLANTA – Hard-throwing Atlanta Braves rookie AJ Smith-Shawver has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, as the team feared when he left Thursday's game at Philadelphia after feeling what he said was a pop in the elbow. An MRI revealed the torn UCL and Smith-Shawver will consult with a specialist before he's expected to have season-ending surgery. He will likely require Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the UCL, which would probably require a 12-13 month rehab for a pitcher like Smith-Shawver having the procedure for the first time. Advertisement Assuming he has the surgery right away, he could target a potential return sometime around the All-Star break or a little earlier in 2026. 'It showed a tear, all the imaging,' said Braves manager Brian Snitker, who didn't provide any more specifics. 'So he'll consult with the physicians or doctors and they'll decide what the next step is.' While the newer internal brace procedure is a less invasive surgery that typically has a rehab period that's two to three months shorter than Tommy John, that brace procedure is only an option if the ligament is intact, not with a torn UCL like Smith-Shawver has. Braves teammate Spencer Strider, who had Tommy John surgery while in college in 2019, just returned last month from a 12-month rehab for an internal brace procedure he had to repair his damaged UCL in April 2024. But Strider didn't have a torn ligament, he had bone fragments that had become embedded in the ligament. The Braves didn't say that Smith-Shawver would definitely have Tommy John surgery, but the only other option presumably would be to rehab without surgery. That might be considered by an aging pitcher near the end of his career, one who doesn't want to rehab for a full year-plus, but it's exceedingly rare among young pitchers — Smith-Shawver is 22 — because it's viewed as putting off the inevitable, especially for a hard-throwing pitcher like Smith-Shawver. Smith-Shawver was hit in the back of his right foot by a line drive off the bat of Bryson Stott with one out in the third inning Thursday at Philadelphia, and Snitker and a team trainer went to the mound to check on him. After telling them he was fine to continue, he threw four pitches — including three fastballs at 94-96 mph on a day when he had a career-high 97.1 average — to Trea Turner, who flied out on a 380-foot line drive. He threw 10 pitches at 98.2 mph or above, including one at 99.6, the second-hardest of his career. Advertisement It was after the Turner out that Snitker, pitching coach Rick Kranitz and a team trainer went back out to check on Smith-Shawver, after Strider had noticed Smith-Shawver shaking out his arm following his last two pitches. Smith-Shawver wanted to continue, but when he told Snitker he felt a pop, his day was over. And so was his season.
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Phillies' Bryce Harper does not expect IL stint after hit-by-pitch
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider initially did not react after hitting Bryce Harper and his surgically repaired elbow with a 95 mph on Tuesday. The 26-year-old assumed Harper, like many other big leaguers, was wearing an elbow guard. But Harper was not, and the lack of a guard sent him reeling to the ground and out of the game with a swollen, bruised elbow. Advertisement 'It's really hard to find braces that kind of feel good, that don't feel bulky or anything like that,' Harper said. 'I haven't really worn them my whole career. I have here and there just to feel it. I did during spring training this year because of this reason. I didn't like the way it felt.' Harper expects to wear multiple braces upon his return: one from his Tommy John recovery process and another on top of it. This is the errant Spencer Strider pitch that knocked Bryce Harper out of the game. (Via @TalkinBaseball_) — On Pattison (@OnPattison) May 27, 2025 When he returns remains to be seen. Tuesday's X-rays were negative. The swelling has gone down but he is still sore. He has not swung a bat since being hit, and he does not know when he'll swing one or when he'll play again, though he did take grounders at first on Friday. To this point, Harper has missed two games, and will miss a third Friday night against the Brewers. Still, he does not expect an IL stint and neither does manager Rob Thomson. In Harper's place, third baseman Alec Bohm moved to first this week. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber also took grounders at first base on Friday — a position he played in the spring but has not played in the majors since Oct. 3, 2021. Harper was was hit by three pitches in a few days' span against the A's and Braves, the last of which was the Strider fastball. It's a hazard of pitchers going in on Harper; 53% of pitches to the first baseman this season have been inside and 37% of those have not been in the zone. It's a strategy Harper understands but feels can be tough with how hard the ball is being thrown. 'I'm all for it in baseball, getting guys off pitches away or anything else like that,' Harper said. 'But just control — guys throw a little too hard now to do that up-and-in thing.' He's always been on top of the plate. That won't change. It is just scarier with harder pitching, he said. The brace should help.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Phillies slugger Bryce Harper remains day-to-day with bruised right elbow
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper remains day-to-day as he continues to recover from a bruised right elbow, leaving his return to the lineup uncertain. Harper was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider during the first inning on Tuesday. Although X-rays indicated no fracture, Harper described the injury as 'still super sore' and has yet to resume swinging a bat. 'I'm not sure when I'm going to play again,' Harper said Friday before the Phillies opened a weekend series against Milwaukee. 'It hit me in a pretty bad spot. I think the swelling has gone down, which is good, but like I said, it's a really tough spot where he got me. I just want to be smart about it, too.' Harper's elbow, which underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, remains a sensitive area. In light of the injury, Harper plans to wear a protective guard on his right elbow upon his return. 'It's really hard to find braces that feel good, that don't feel as bulky,' Harper said. 'I haven't really worn them my whole career. I have here and there, just to feel it. I did in spring training this year because of this reason. I didn't like the way it felt.' Despite the setback, the two-time National League MVP emphasized that he does not believe Strider's pitch was intentional. 'Obviously there was no intent on it,' Harper said. 'He's a competitive guy, a really good pitcher.' Phillies manager Rob Thomson echoed Harper's sentiments, stating that he doesn't anticipate a stint on the injured list for the star player. 'We'll have to see (when he can return),' Thomson said. 'We have to get the swelling out and him be pain free, or close to it.' Harper took ground balls and fielded throws at first base before Friday's game, but he didn't throw any balls or swing a bat. Harper is hitting .267 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 54 games this season. Alec Bohm has shifted from third base to first base to replace Harper. Edmundo Sosa has taken over at third. ___ AP MLB:
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Phillies' Bryce Harper, "still super sore," opens up about being hit by pitch vs. Braves
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper will miss his third straight game after being hit by a pitch in his right elbow Tuesday. Harper spoke for the first time Friday since the injury and said he hasn't swung a bat since and isn't sure if he'll land on the injured list. Harper, 32, said his right elbow is "still super sore" after Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider hit him with a 95.6 mph fastball in the first inning of Philadelphia's 2-0 win over Atlanta. He left the game with a bruised right elbow, and the team said X-rays were negative. "I'm not sure when I'm going to play again," Harper said. "It hit me in a pretty bad spot. I think the swelling has gone down, which is good, but like I said, it's a really tough spot where he got me. I just want to be smart about it, too." Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Friday he doesn't believe Harper will hit the IL. "We'll have to see," Thomson said. "Have to get the swelling out and pain free, or close to it." Harper said he'll be wearing a protective guard on his right elbow whenever he returns, adding it will likely be the same one he wore when he returned from Tommy John surgery in 2023. "It's really hard to find braces that feel good, that don't feel as bulky," Harper said. "I haven't really worn them my whole career. I have here and there, just to feel it. I did in spring training this year because of this reason. I didn't like the way it felt." Harper said Strider "obviously" had no intent on hitting him and understands why pitchers attack him inside. In his last four games, he's been hit by a pitch three times. "That's where teams go against me. It's a bummer just because guys throw so hard now," Harper said. "But that's where guys go, sinkers in, heaters up and in. I understand throwing inside, I totally get that. I'm all for it in baseball and getting guys off pitches away or anything else like that, but just control. Guys throw a little too hard now to do that up and in." Harper said he doesn't plan to back off the plate when he returns, but added that the added velocity in today's game makes it "a little scarier" to stand closer to the plate. "There's a little bit of give and take," Harper said. "Wearing a brace, wearing an arm guard, that helps."
