Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper Hits Paternity List Ahead of Cincinnati Reds Series

Bryce Harper and his wife, Kayla, are set to have their third child, so the first baseman won't be with the Philadelphia Phillies against the Cincinnati Reds.

Apr 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3). | Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed first baseman Bryce Harper on the paternity list, the team announced Monday afternoon.

As a result, Harper will not be with the team for their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Per MLB rules, Harper can miss no more than three games on the paternity list, so he will be back on the active roster no later than Thursday's series finale in Cincinnati.

Harper and his wife, Kayla, announced on March 26 that they were expecting their third child. They had a son in August 2019 and a daughter in November 2020.

To fill out their 26-man roster in Harper's absence, the Phillies have recalled infielder Kody Clemens from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Prior to tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies placed first baseman Bryce Harper on the paternity list. To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, the club recalled infielder Kody Clemens from triple-A Lehigh Valley.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 22, 2024

Harper opened 2024 on a cold streak, going hitless through his first three appearances of the season. Ever since he blasted three home runs against the Reds on April 2, however, Harper is batting .279 with four homers, 14 RBI and an .874 OPS.

On the whole this season, Harper is batting .241 with a .773 OPS and 0.4 WAR. He has missed just one of Philadelphia's 22 games.

This is Harper's first season as a full-time first baseman. The former outfielder took on the position following the 2023 All-Star break, and he remained at first throughout the Phillies' postseason run.

Harper is in the sixth year of the 13-year, $330 million contract he inked with the Phillies back in 2019. Before arriving in Philadelphia, Harper was a six-time All-Star and one-time MVP with the Washington Nationals.

Now a two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star, Harper ranks ninth among active players with 310 home runs and 10th among active batters with a 46.7 WAR. The 31-year-old slugger is a .280 hitter for his career with a .910 OPS.

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