At the time, early in the first inning of Tuesday’s game, the game looked pretty routine. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a ground ball into the right side of the infield. The ball bounced off the glove of Philadelphia first baseman Bryce Harper, who retrieved the ball and hauled it out of the infield.
Harper, who was scheduled to start Tuesday, shook his hand for a few moments immediately after the game, an apparent indication that the ball may have hit some flesh. “Hand is fine,” coach Rob Thompson said after the game.
or not.
Philadelphia’s lineup for Wednesday’s midseason game against the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park was posted unusually late, the reason being that Harper was still in the batting cage, working out with a bruised and sore hand.
In the end, he did not start. Alec Bohm moved from third to first and Edmundo Sosa took his place.
This was just one of three injury updates Wednesday afternoon that were more of a short-term concern than a long-term concern.
Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler, who came off the bench Tuesday after five dominant innings with a left lower back injury, remains uncertain for Sunday’s game against the Athletics. Center fielder Johan Rojas, who was hit in the hand by a ball, also missed the starting lineup. Thompson downplayed the severity of both injuries after the game.
The seating of Harper and Rojas was presented as a strict precaution.
“Every time I have hand and foot injuries, I worry because it changes my shooting style a little bit,” the coach said. “If this was a playoff or something like that, (Rojas) would be able to play. He’s a runaway, we just want to make sure he can shoot efficiently.”
Wheeler underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed no structural damage, but he is still in pain. “We’re going to be very careful with him,” Thompson said, in a shift from the night before when he said he “assumed” the 34-year-old would be fine.
Asked directly what positive aspect Wheeler might get from working Sunday, when he misses that start following the All-Star break that will give him at least 10 days to recover, Thompson said it would simply be getting one of baseball’s best players on the mound.
But he added: “We won’t risk anything. This happens on the perfect day. The day before the break. That way you can put all your energy on the pitch so they don’t have to take five days off after the break.”
It had been previously announced that Wheeler, like any other All-Star starter who is in action on Sunday, would not appear in the game.
More general hospital
Right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker threw a ball in the relief bullpen Wednesday afternoon. “It looked good to me. His division looked good,” Thompson said. “I’m not sure about the velocity, but he’ll either throw another ball in the relief bullpen on Saturday or he’ll throw a ball in the relief bullpen.”
The coach expected that Walker, who has inflammation in his right index finger which he believes is the reason for his inability to throw the ball effectively, will need several rehabilitation sessions before he can be activated.
on deck
Right-handed pitcher Landon Nack (1-2, 2.86) will start the series finale for the Dodgers against right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola (10-4, 4.38) on Thursday at 6:05 p.m.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
