Bryce Harper limped into the game against the Marlins on Thursday night after hitting a grounder, becoming the third Phillies position player this season to land on the disabled list with a tight hamstring.
Earlier this year, shortstop Trea Turner was sidelined for six weeks and outfielder Brandon Marsh for 10 days with a hamstring injury.
Early indications are that Harper should return sooner than later, but the question remains whether there’s anything the team could have done to avoid this injury or something similar. Kyle Schwarber is also out with a groin strain.
“We do post-mortems on everything,” manager Rob Thomson said before Saturday’s game against the Marlins. “They (the athletic trainers) do it. I do it myself. We go back and look at all the paperwork. Okay, did we make a mistake here? Did we play too many consecutive days? Did we not have enough DH days? Either way. We’re always making sure we’re doing the right thing, and if we need to make adjustments, we do so.”
“At this point, I think it’s just a coincidence, but they’re still trying really hard.”
With all the latest technology and the huge financial investment that comes with it, teams try to go to great lengths to keep players on the field.
For example, left-handers Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez are both expected to work harder than they have in the past, so the team is closely monitoring velocity, as well as more advanced metrics like extension and spin rate, to get early warning signs that they might be declining.
“I’m not a bit worried, but it’s always in the back of my mind,” Thompson said. “All the indicators are good right now and we’ll keep an eye on it. If we have to back out, we’ll back out.”
The opponent: Marlins right-hander Yonny Chirinos (0-2, 2.70 ERA) will face left-hander Ranger Suarez (10-2, 2.01 ERA) in the series finale Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
After a day of rest, the Phillies will return to the road to begin a three-game series against the Cubs on Chicago’s north side, with right-hander Michael Mercado, right-hander Zack Wheeler and left-hander Christopher Sanchez taking the mound.
It will be the first major league start for the 25-year-old Mercado, who made his major league debut with a one-inning relief appearance at Detroit on June 24. “I think he’s pretty settled in, but this will be a big start for him,” Rob Thomson said. “It’s Wrigley Field. His parents will probably fly in, so we’ll see how he reacts.”
He appeared in 14 games with the IronPigs, 10 as a starter, with a 1.71 ERA and was limited to about 90 pitches.
Asked if he’d considered swapping Wheeler for Mercado, which would have allowed Aaron Nola, Suarez and Wheeler to face the division-rival Braves in Atlanta next weekend, Thompson explained, “Yes, but with (Wheeler) throwing 115 pitches on Thursday and (Sanchez) pitching a complete game on Friday, I think it would be prudent to give them an extra day of caution.”
SCORECARD NOTES: The Phillies have used three different designated hitters (Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm) in their past three games, and manager Rob Thomson said a modified version will likely continue after Kyle Schwarber (groin soreness) returns from the IL. The manager said it’s “very important” to give some other position players “half days off” and that he wouldn’t hesitate to use Schwarber in left field in that situation.
Right-handed relief pitcher Luis Ortiz is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on July 11. He was removed from a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley because of forearm tightness on June 18. Ortiz was placed on the disabled list with a sprained ankle and rested due to shoulder soreness during his first attempt at a return.
