Philly Leader

Bryce Harper, a player for the Philadelphia Phillies, was hit by a 92 mph fastball on his right arm during a game at TD Ballpark. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon and left Harper with a bruised right triceps. According to the team, no X-rays are planned.

The pitch knocked off Harper's helmet and bat. After regaining his composure, he exited the game accompanied by an athletic trainer. He later returned to BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater but did not provide any comments.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson stated, "Fine, I think," after their 9-6 win over the Blue Jays. He further explained that it is "a contusion in the triceps area" and expressed that they are "not overly concerned at all."

The pitch came from Blue Jays' left-hander Richard Lovelady during the sixth inning. It was part of an inside fastball sequence that ended up hitting Harper six pitches later. Lovelady appeared upset following the incident.

Harper has previously faced similar situations where being hit led to injuries. In April 2021, Cardinals pitcher Génesis Cabrera hit him with a fastball resulting in an injury to his forearm and eventually landing him on the injured list. Another instance occurred in June 2022 when Blake Snell's pitch broke Harper’s thumb, requiring surgery.

Manager Thomson expressed concern about such incidents happening early in Spring Training games due to pitchers still building up their command: “Especially early in camp,” he said.