Philly Leader

PHILADELPHIA -- Bryce Harper stated on Friday that he will not make excuses for his performance, despite acknowledging ongoing physical issues. Prior to the Phillies' 7-2 loss to Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park, which reduced their lead over the Braves in the National League East to five games with 27 remaining, Harper admitted to dealing with elbow and wrist irritation.

Attentive fans have noticed Harper wearing a protective sleeve on his right arm since Monday’s game against Houston. Additionally, Harper has not hit a home run in 77 consecutive plate appearances, dating back to August 9.

When asked about his condition, Harper told MLB.com, “The elbow. The wrist. It’s not anything crazy, but obviously it’s there.” He revealed that his wrist has been an issue since May and the elbow problem is more recent. "I’ve been grinding through that," he said.

With the postseason approaching in just over a month, Harper remains hopeful these issues will not affect him in October. “I don’t want to make excuses for what I do,” he said. “Hopefully it gets better rather than getting worse.”

Harper underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow following the 2022 World Series but clarified that this latest irritation is unrelated. “It’s not the ligament,” he confirmed.

Despite these challenges, Harper went 3-for-4 with two doubles on Friday night. His first-inning double left his bat at 107.8 mph and another double in the third inning was clocked at 102.3 mph by Statcast data.

Since returning from the All-Star break, Harper's performance has seen a decline; he is batting .243 with five home runs and a .724 OPS over 38 games compared to .301 with 21 homers and a .982 OPS before the break.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson's decision-making regarding Harper has also come under scrutiny recently. On August 18th during a game against Washington Nationals where Philadelphia lost 6-4, Thomson opted not to pinch-hit Harper in favor of giving him additional rest before an important series against Atlanta.

“People have to understand the No.1 thing we have to do here is win,” Thomson explained later. He emphasized balancing player health with team success as crucial for making a deep playoff run.

Despite not being fully healthy, Harper continues playing through discomfort: “Sometimes you’ve got to play through crap,” he remarked.

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