Inside The Phillies

Bryce Harper Not in Phillies Lineup for Game 1 of Doubleheader Against Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies are without their star in the first game of the doubleheader.
Brad Wakai|
May 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) on deck in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field
May 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) on deck in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Bryce Harper exited the first game of this rivalry series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves after getting plunked by Spencer Strider in his very first at-bat of the contest.

Knowing the history between these two teams, that was not a popular moment.

Discourse was created regarding if the Phillies should or should not have retaliated since no Braves batters were hit during that game after Harper exited. And when Wednesday's contest was postponed due to inclement weather, that only built the anticipation heading into the newly-scheduled doubleheader on Thursday.

The good news is Harper's X-rays came back negative when he got his elbow immediately looked at, with the results suggesting he just had a contusion.

That's a great sign that he won't have to miss too much time, but when Philadelphia put out their lineup for Game 1 of the doubleheader, the superstar's name was noticeably absent.

Rob Thomson could just be giving Harper some more time before the second leg of Thursday's matchup between the two rivals.

After all, J.T. Realmuto is also not in the lineup for the first game, seemingly being saved for the finale when the two aces of Zack Wheeler and Chris Sale are set to battle.

But anytime Harper is not in the lineup it's something that will talked about, especially after his surgically-repaired elbow was hit and he had to be pulled from the contest as a result of it.

This will be something to keep an eye on throughout the afternoon.

If Harper is also out for the second game of the doubleheader, then there's a chance this issue might be worse than initially expected.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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