Thomson: Strider didn't intentionally hit Harper
Published
Bryce Harper will not be in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup for their opening game in a doubleheader on Thursday after being hit in the elbow by Atlanta Braves hurler Spencer Strider on Tuesday night.
Asked why his team didn't seek any retaliation for the beaning, manager Rob Thomson says the pitch wasn't intentional.
"It's not on purpose - it's as simple as that," Thomson told a dugout scrum. "If I think somebody is throwing at one of our hitters, I don't know what I would do, but if it's a pitch that gets away from a pitcher, which I believe it was and I think everybody in that clubhouse thinks it was, that's baseball. It happens."
Harper, 32, went for x-rays after the 2-0 win that came back negative. Thomson says swelling remains on the elbow and Harper has yet to swing a bat since Tuesday, putting his availability for the second game in doubt. The doubleheader is taking place following a rainout on Wednesday.
Through 54 games this season, the two-time National League Most Valuable Player is batting .267 with 54 hits, eight home runs, 33 runs batted in and an OPS of .825.
The Phillies (35-19) sit atop the NL East, two games up on the second-place New York Mets (34-22) and 9.5 games clear of the Braves (25-28) in third.