Bryce Harper Hit by Pitch, Phillies Have 'No Concerns' for Opening Day
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper left Friday's spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays after he was hit in the right ankle by a 96-mph fastball.
Blue Jays pitcher Trent Thornton appeared to lose his balance during his delivery, resulting in a pitch that was low and inside. Harper fell to the ground in pain before slowly limping off the diamond and making his way to the dugout.
The Phillies listed Harper as day-to-day on Saturday after the swelling reduced overnight. General manager Gabe Kapler added that the team has "no concerns about opening day at this point.”
Harper, who signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies on Feb. 28, entered Friday's game with three walks and a pair of strikeouts in limited spring training action. The 26-year-old missed 51 games in 2017 and has missed at least 15 games in five of his previous seven seasons.
While his 2018 campaign didn't compare to his breakout season in 2015–when he led the NL in runs, homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage–Harper still hit 34 home runs and ranked ninth in on-base percentage.
Harper finished the 2018 season with a slash line of .249/.393/.496 and has a career slash line of .279/.388/.512.
