Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper left Saturday’s game against the San Diego Padres after receiving a blow to his hands with a 97 mph fastball.
The Phillies later announced that he had fractured his left thumb and would be out indefinitely. It will be subject to additional evaluation in the coming days.
“I’d like it to touch my face,” Harper told The Associated Press. “I do not break bones in my face. I think I can wear 98 (mph) on my face, but not 97 on my thumb. Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either.
“It’s just a shame. I’m really discouraged.”
Harper was hit during a turn in the fourth-inning bat against San Diego starter Blake Snell. Snell threw his fast ball 2-2 up and in. Harper couldn’t get out of the way. The ball hit Harper in his hands and he immediately fell to the ground in pain.
The replay shows the ball hitting Harper directly in the hands.
Harper was visibly upset when he got up, apparently realizing he was hurt.
After exchanging words with Snell, he seemed to tell the Padres pitcher that he didn’t think he wanted to hit him.
Snell said he sent a text message to Harper after the game.
“Obviously, I felt terrible hitting him,” Snell told The Associated Press. “I don’t do that and he knows it. We’ve talked, we’ve managed. He plays with a lot of passion and I understand why I’d be upset. I’m as upset as him, I hit him. … I just hope he recovers quickly and comes back and keep competing “.
Harper went to the Phillies clubhouse to receive a medical evaluation.
“It didn’t heat up at all,” Harper told The Associated Press. “It was just the moment and a shitty situation. I’ve been playing against Blake since we were 10 or 11, so I know there was no ill will behind that. The inside field is part of the game. It’s a great player and also a great human being. I wish him all the best and I told him to keep throwing it inside the fastball because it puts this slider very well. “
The story goes on
Harper had played much of the season with a UCL tear in his right elbow that prevented him from playing on the field. The injury did not risk further damage or prevent him from swinging, so he had remained in the lineup of the Phillies thanks to the change in rules that allowed the designated batsmen in the National League. The fracture of the thumb obviously changes your perspective.
Harper, a six-time All-Star, comes from his second National League MVP campaign. In 63 games this season, he cut .320 / .385 / .602 with 15 homers, 48 RBIs and nine stolen bases. The Phillies came into play Saturday with a 37-35 lead, 9.5 games from the top-ranked Mets in the NL East. His hopes of competing for a place in the playoffs received a major blow with the loss of his best player.
Bryce Harper left Saturday’s game after being hit by a pitch. (Denis Poroy / Getty Images)