Cue the premature panic.
Bryce Harper is dealing with back stiffness, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said on Sunday. It’s why he hasn’t been in the lineup since Thursday, won’t be in it on Monday and likely won’t take part in any baseball activities at all until Tuesday.
“I’ve backed him off,” Thomson told reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “He’s been doing a lot of work. A lot of swings, a lot of defensive work. He got a little stiff, so we’re just being precautious. We’ll just back him off for a few days.”
Thomson clarified that he has “none, zero” concern about Harper’s back, adding that he will positively be in the lineup by the end of the week and Opening Day isn’t a question.
But this is Bryce Harper, so the news might not be received as nonchalantly as Thomson might hope. Back injuries have never caused Harper to miss significant time — his longer-term injuries the past couple seasons have been freak ones and ensuing elbow problems — but he’s dealt with nagging back discomfort for a good chunk of his career, including his Phillies tenure, and including last year.
His temporary move to DH and (seemingly) permanent move to first base have been aimed at mitigating stress on Harper’s body as he ages, and back health is certainly a goal of that project. The reality, though, is that Harper will probably deal with on-and-off back issues for the rest of his career. It doesn’t need to completely derail him — if he and the Phillies are smart — but it’s unrealistic to expect it to go away entirely.
It’s worth noting that Harper has slashed .227/.346/.273 through nine games so far this spring. Sure, spring training stats are mostly inconsequential, especially for a player of Harper’s caliber, but he typically settles into spring awfully quickly. He’s OPS’d at least 1.100 in spring every year since joining the Phillies.
Whatever the culprit, the Phillies aren’t playing games with their franchise player, because there’s no reason to. Chalk it up as something to monitor, but not a reason to panic. Yet.
Must-read Phillies content
