Harper’s elbow injury isn’t ideal, but it’s not the worst thing for the Phillies

Head over to foco.com to get your hands on some fresh Eagles gear for the summer. From limited time bobbleheads, to sleek apparel for every major Philly sports team, FOCO has a wide selection of items to fit anyone’s taste. Use promo code FULLSCALE15 at check out to get 15% off all in stock items!

---

The hits just keeping coming for our right fielder, and, unfortunately, not all of them are positive.

Prior to their 9-7 victory over the Dodgers late last night, the Phillies got some bad news. Bryce Harper has a small tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that usually requires Tommy John surgery.

See more

Girardi said the Phillies had another test done on Harper last week that showed a small tear in his UCL. They had him visit Dr. ElAttrache this morning, who confirmed that it is a small tear. He’ll be a no throw for four weeks; they hope he’ll start a throwing program after that

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) May 12, 2022

While the threat of TJ surgery is ominous, Harper is going to go a different route to rehab his elbow. On Sunday, Harper is going to get a PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, shot in his elbow. Basically, the PRP shot will promote growth in the ligament and help speed up the healing process. After the shot, as seen above, he will be shut down from throwing for four weeks.

Let’s face it, Harper’s injury is not a positive development for the Phils. Their best defensive outfielder, his absence from right field will absolutely affect the team’s defense. A daily outfield of Castellanos, Schwarber, and Herrera/Quinn is not elite defensively by any means. For example, in 187 innings in right field this season, Castellanos has -3 defensive runs saved and -2 outs above average.

Not only that, but it takes away some roster flexibility, as Harper is going to be the DH moving forward. Getting guys some days off their feet will be harder now, since you aren’t taking Harper’s bat out of the lineup.

See more

.@bryceharper3 can still hit.

(MLB x @HankookTireUSA) pic.twitter.com/1WhyvDdRBi

— MLB (@MLB) May 13, 2022

Thank goodness for the universal designated hitter, or the Phillies would be in serious trouble. Harper’s elbow does not affect his ability to hit, and it shows. So far through 10 games in May, Harper is slashing .325/.349/.725 with four HRs. He has been the team’s best hitter this month.

Even with a torn ligament in his elbow, Harper is still amongst the best hitters in the game. Although the recovery for Tommy John for position players is different, any surgery would likely knock him out for the year. Any missed time for MV3 severely inhibits the team’s playoff chances.

While his injury is not the best thing for the team, it also isn’t debilitating. The defense was already expected to be a weakness for this team, so it won’t be much of a change. No matter how the rehab goes, you aren’t going to be taking his bat out of the lineup. His elbow is clearly not having any effect on his swing.

The Phillies still need all the production they can get out of Harper. An injured Harper is still the most important hitter on this team.

And arguably one of the best in the league.

See more

The fact that Bryce Harper has managed an .847 OPS in a year where offense is the worst it’s been in decades — all with a torn UCL?

Wild.

— Alex Carr (@AlexCarrMLB) May 12, 2022