Harper Could Face Phillies Teammates in WBC, Hopes to Avoid One in Particular

DUNEDIN, Fla. — In the span of less than a week, Bryce Harper will go from playing in meaningless exhibition games in Florida to representing his country on baseball's grandest non-October stage.

Quite a change, physically and mentally.

Harper homered against the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon and left after the game to head to Houston to meet up with Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

The U.S. faces Brazil next Friday, Great Britain on Saturday, Mexico the following Monday and Italy that Tuesday.

There will be warm-ups before the tournament begins, but it's not much time to shift from getting work in to playing in must-win tournament games.

"It happens quick. You've better hurry up and flip it because it's going to be really tough," Harper said inside the visiting clubhouse at TD Ballpark. "Guys are going to come in ready to go, pitchers will be ready to go, guys who have been playing Winter Ball all offseason in Latin American countries.

"It's going to be real and it's going to happen real quick."

Repping the colors

This will be Harper's first World Baseball Classic. He was committed to play for the team in 2023 but missed the tournament because he underwent Tommy John surgery the prior offseason.

He takes great pride in playing for his country, though, speaking at length over the years about his desire to have major-leaguers in the Olympics. Harper played for the 2008 16-and-under national team in Mexico and the 2009 18-and-under national team in Venezuela. The clubs went a combined 16-0 and won both tournaments.

"It would be awesome," Harper said of winning another. "When I was younger, we won and were undefeated in both tournaments. If we can go out there and do what we need to do, possibility to do the same thing. We have a really good group of guys, position players, pitchers and staff."

Team USA is viewed as the favorite to win this year's WBC, followed by Japan and the Dominican Republic.

Facing teammates?

Aaron Nola is pitching for Italy but Nola said on Friday that he expects to start on March 11 against Mexico. Team USA faces Italy the day before, so Harper and Kyle Schwarber are unlikely to face their teammate.

They could, however, face Taijuan Walker on March 9. Walker plans to make his next start on March 4 in Phillies camp against Team Canada in a WBC warm-up.

And the juiciest matchup could come later in the tournament if Team USA draws Cristopher Sanchez in a matchup against the Dominican Republic.

"I hope I don't face Sanchy," Harper said. "I know Sanchy's probably one of them that we'd face if we make it to the semis. "Those guys, Noles is obviously a possibility. We'll see. It should be a lot of fun. I've faced Noles a couple of times.

"I've never faced Sanchy, not even on a back field. You better pick and choose what you want to swing at. His stuff's moving all over the place. One of the best in baseball right now from the left side so it's going to be a tall task."

Luzardo, too?

The possibility, even if it's slight, also exists that Harper and Team USA could face Jesus Luzardo late in the tournament. In a conversation with Venezuelan website El Extrabase on Friday, Luzardo told reporters that he remains in contact with Team Venezuela manager Omar Lopez even though he is not currently on the roster.

"We've had the conversation," Luzardo told El Extrabase (translation via YouTube). "I feel good, but it also depends on how I continue to progress here, talking with the team, talking with the Phillies as well to see the possibility that I have and that they have with me to go and pitch in the Classic. The Phillies have been tremendous with me and with everyone here, all the players who want to play in the Classic. I continue talking with Omar and seeing the possibility that, God willing, I could do that."

Luzardo was born in Peru and grew up in South Florida but Venezuela is the only team he would be willing to pitch for in the WBC.

"The United States called me and asked me to pitch with them and I think it's an honor, but at the same time, I told them no, that there was no chance in this Classic," Luzardo said. "I told them, as I've said before, I feel Venezuelan. My family is 100% Venezuelan. I grew up watching all of Venezuela's games in the Classic and supporting Venezuelan baseball players, so that situation was difficult but I think they understood quite well that it's something I do for my family too."

Luzardo threw a simulated game back in Clearwater on Saturday and is lined up to make his first spring start on Thursday against the visiting Red Sox.

The Phillies will play 16 Grapefruit League games between now and the date of the WBC Championship, March 17. If Team USA indeed makes it all the way, the first game back in Phillies camp for Harper, Schwarber and Keller would probably be March 19 or 20 in Clearwater against the Rays or Tigers.