PHILADELPHIA — A second throwing session in as many days Wednesday has Bryce Harper no closer to a return to the field. But manager Joe Girardi is in no hurry to rush the reigning National League MVP, especially since his bat in the designated hitter spot is providing plenty of value.
The DH rule introduction to the NL this year means Girardi has no reason to do that, with Harper still batting every day. So they are taking their time in nursing his elbow issues.
Harper has passed all strength and flexibility tests and threw Tuesday. But in a light throwing session Wednesday, things felt off. He’s not going to throw again until next week, when they’ll re-evaluate and restart the cycle.
“We’ll take it day-by-day, see what it feels like,” Harper said after a 7-3 win over the Rockies. “Probably take the week off again of throwing, take it day-by-day, see how I feel and go from there.”
If that takes another week or two or four, Girardi is fine with that. He’ll make the adjustments to rest others to ensure No. 3 is batting in spot three of his daily order.
“We don’t want it to affect your hitting,” Girardi said. “If we have to wait another week until you start throwing again, we’ll wait another week. It’s not a big deal.”
Harper singled in the first inning Wednesday, then tripled off the State Farm sign in right center to lead off the third. He would score on Nick Castellanos’ groundout, then singled again in the seventh.
“DHing is kind of, you have to learn how to do it,” Girardi said. “You have to learn what to do with your mind when you’re not in the field like you normally would be. For a guy that likes to be in the field, it’s not always easy, but I think he’s made a really good adjustment and he’s handled it well.”
Harper’s enduring DH status will complicate matters slightly in refreshing the lineup, amid a run of 23 games in 24 days to open the season and the, uh, defensively limited players around him.
The Phillies have an extra outfielder in the mix, with Roman Quinn up in place of Bryson Stott. Kyle Schwarber can play first as a day off, but he and Castellanos might end up sitting instead of DHing for a down day.
If that’s what it takes to let Harper hit every day, though, it’s a no-brainer for Girardi.
“We want his bat in the lineup,” he said, “and I think that’s the important thing.”
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The diminished spring training was likely to hit no one quite as hard as starting pitchers, who faced an accelerated timeline to build up their arms without injuring that delicate piece of machinery.
Expectedly, the Phillies rotation has faced a bump or two. But things are starting to steady. For the myriad runs that the Rockies gifted them with their creative interpretation of “fielding” the last two nights, Phillies starters have nonetheless put their team in position to take advantage.
The Phillies had given up three runs or fewer in four of five games entering Wednesday, with starters delivering more consistent outings. Not coincidentally, they had won four of six.
Zach Eflin was excellent for six innings Tuesday, the only blemish a Charlie Blackmon solo homer. Kyle Gibson gave up two homers Monday but settled in to work into the sixth. Aaron Nola tossed seven shutout innings of one-hit ball Sunday, even if it went down as a 1-0 loss. Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez preceded them by getting at least 14 outs each.
“I think they’re coming on pretty good,” Girardi said. “I felt good about them going into the season. I think the rough patch was that second start for everyone. It was rough. And it wasn’t rough so much in velocity but command, and that’s all gotten back on track. They’ve all done a pretty good job.”
Girardi has noted control as an issue for some in their so-so starts. That fits with the profile of guys like Nola and Suarez, who are more precision than power pitchers. It may be, Girardi speculated, that command is the last thing to dial in for those pitchers, even if velocity is relatively normal.
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Wednesday was a chance to give Jean Segura a day off, after successfully installing the second baseman in the leadoff spot. Instead of juggling the order, Girardi nudged Odubel Herrera from ninth to first.
Herrera responded with a leadoff home run, turning around a 93 mph fastball from Ryan Feltner into a 429-foot no-doubter into the second deck. Right fielder Randal Girchuk barely flinched in watching it fly.
“He can be pretty energizing,” Girardi said. “At times, he’s done a really good job up there. He hit there last year. He’s familiar with it.”
It’s the fifth career leadoff home run for Herrera. He entered 4-for-10, with a homer and three extra-base hits, in four games since being activated from the injured list with an oblique strain.