Harper hitless in return but ‘excited to be back’
LOS ANGELES — Bryce Harper‘s historically rapid return from Tommy John surgery brought with it questions surrounding timing, particularly his ability to catch up to major league pitching after spending so much of these past five months focused mostly on rehabilitation.
A different type of timing presented an obstacle.
Harper used his designated timeout during a two-strike count in his first at-bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers then again on a two-strike count in his second at-bat then again before even seeing the first pitch in his third. Harper, famously deliberate with his routine between and before pitches, wasn’t merely playing in his first game of the season on Tuesday night. He was playing in his first game with a pitch clock, one of several new regulations introduced for the 2023 season. It’s going to take some getting used to.
“Your whole life, your whole career, you’ve always slowed the game down,” Harper said after the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 13-1 loss from Dodger Stadium. “I took a long time from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box. And also in between pitches, I’d take a while. So, definitely an adjustment period. I just got to figure that out — figure out what I want to do, how I want to do it, use my timeouts when I need to and understand the game’s going to be at a quicker pace for the foreseeable future.”
Harper, who batted third while serving as the designated hitter, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in what amounted to the second straight night in which the Dodgers scored 13 runs against the Phillies’ pitchers.
It was an unceremonious return but also a particularly challenging one.
Harper’s first assignment came in a left-on-left matchup against Julio Urias, who boasted the lowest ERA in the National League last season. Urias attacked Harper largely with breaking balls that tailed away from him, most of which Harper either fouled off or swung through. Harper whiffed on a 1-2 curveball low and outside in his first at-bat then grounded out on a check-swing tapper in his second and swung through a 1-2 cutter well outside in his third. His fourth at-bat, to lead off the ninth inning of a 12-run deficit against right-hander Phil Bickford, saw him take three swings, the last of which was a foul tip on an inside-corner cutter.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson believes Harper’s bat speed was sound and that he was “on a lot of pitches,” even if results didn’t materialize.
“I was excited — excited to get back, excited to be back,” Harper said. “But not the game we wanted to have, right? Just got to keep going, keep plugging along. I feel like it’s pitch selection. And it’ll even things out; it’ll get better. Just got to give it some time.”
It’s an understandable assessment. It was only 160 days ago, on Nov. 23, that Harper underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The initial prognosis had him returning after the All-Star break, but Harper set his sights on this series — from Dodger Stadium, the place where he made his major league debut 11 years ago — as his target. It fueled him throughout the course of his rehab, gave him something to chase. He beat the initial timeline by more than two months and wound up returning from Tommy John surgery faster than any baseball player on record, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.
“Obviously, he’s not throwing a baseball, but he’s swinging a baseball bat at full speed,” Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long said. “It’s a remarkable feat, and I guess it’s another chapter in Bryce Harper’s life.”
The process began in early March, with two sets of 10 dry swings with a much lighter fungo bat from the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida. Over the course of roughly six weeks, Harper and Long progressed through tee work, soft toss, traditional batting practice, swings off a high-velocity pitching machine and live at-bats. Harper received the equivalent of 50 at-bats against either rehabbing pitchers or minor league pitchers over these past handful of weeks, opting for controlled environments instead of venturing out on a traditional rehab assignment.
Harper received final clearance from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed his surgery, in L.A. on Monday. Thomson had decided to give Harper that night off regardless and was hesitant to start him with such a tough matchup in Urias, a perennial Cy Young contender, the following day. But Harper, he said, wanted it.
“He wants to play,” Thomson added. “He’s itching to play.”
Harper was noticeably aggressive in his return, swinging at the first pitch each of the four times he came to bat. He will return to the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale, a day game, and is expected to play regularly given that the Phillies begin this month with four days off in a stretch of three weeks. Eventually, once his throwing progression reaches a certain point, he’ll transition to first base. But that development is still months away. For now, the Phillies simply need his bat in the lineup.
“I want the results to be better,” Harper said of his first game back. “But granted, I’m excited to be back. Going through six months of grinding, hard work, and to be able to get back today, I was extremely excited.”
Harper spent the vast majority of the 2022 season nursing a tear in his right UCL and serving as the Phillies’ DH, batting .296/.368/.522 in 90 games there during the regular season then hitting four go-ahead home runs in an epic postseason run that culminated in a World Series appearance. That year, though, Harper ranked 11th among 376 hitters in slowest tempo between pitches with the bases empty, as measured by Baseball Savant. In other words, he took a long time in the batter’s box.
Now, in a new wrinkle, he’ll have a pitch clock to work against.
“It’s going to be an adjustment for me,” Harper said. “But it is what it is at this point.”
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
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