Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was forced to exit Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning after getting hit by a pitch.
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Braves right-hander Spencer Strider threw a 95.3 mph fastball that was up and in, and hit Harper on the right elbow.
Harper went down in immediate pain, and was down for a few minutes holding his elbow before walking to the dugout with the assistance of a trainer. He was then replaced by pinch-runner Edmundo Sosa. Third baseman Alec Bohm moved over to first base to replace Harper, while Sosa took over at third base.
Here’s a video of the hit by pitch:
Bryce Harper was removed from the game after being hit by a pitch in the right elbow pic.twitter.com/mRjQUMrvQ0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 27, 2025
The Phillies fans let Strider hear it for hitting Harper, showering him with boos as the first baseman was escorted to the dugout.
Harper is in the midst of another strong season, hitting .267 with eight home runs, 33 runs batted in and an OPS of .825 including Tuesday’s plate appearance. He’s added eight stolen bases and has an impressive 33 walks to 42 strikeouts.
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Harper, 32, is an eight-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger award winner and two-time Most Valuable Player. After spending the first seven years of his career with the Washington Nationals, he’s now in his seventh season with Philadelphia.
Harper underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in November 2022, returning 160 days later in early May 2023. After the surgery, he transitioned from the outfield to first base, where he’s played ever since.
The Phillies will hope that the injury isn’t as bad as it looked in the moment, as they can’t afford to be without Harper for significant time.
The Phillies entered Tuesday’s series opener against the Braves at 34-19, just 1.5 games ahead of the New York Mets in the highly contested National League East division.
The Braves, at 25-27, are in third place and 8.5 games back of Philadelphia, but have the opportunity to pick up some games with a successful series this week.
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