With the Phillies appearing on their way to a victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4, one that would clinch their spot in the NLCS for a second consecutive year, Phillies fans were riding high. That is, until first baseman Bryce Harper suffered an apparent elbow injury to the same arm that he just recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Harper collided with Matt Olson on a first base put-out where Harper's arm remained in the base path as Olson hustled down the line. Immediately, Harper bent over in pain. It was the third out of the top of the eighth inning, so he didn't have to remove himself from the game.
After going in the locker room briefly in the bottom of the eighth, Harper came back to the dugout quickly. Then, he took the field for the top of the ninth for the final three outs.
After the game, here's what Harper said to reporters about the injury.
Bryce Harper downplays injury and suggests he'll be fine for NLCS
"I'm good, just hit my funny bone," Harper said in an on-field postgame interview with TBS.
Well, there you have it.
Let's remember, though, Harper tore his ACL in May 2022 and relegated himself to an everyday DH so he could keep contributing and put surgery off. Then, he got Tommy John in the offseason and returned to the field -- once again as a DH, then as a newly minted first baseman -- in an absurdly quick turnaround.
If Harper actually does have an injury, would he share it?
I'll leave that to you to decide. What we know is that he was good enough to take the field after the collision in Game 4. Now, he and the Phils have off until Monday when the NLCS starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
