Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, limited to designated hitter duty of late, has a small tear in his right UCL, will get a PRP injection and will not throw a baseball for four weeks, manager Joe Girardi told reporters Thursday.
Girardi said Dr. Neal ElAttrache of Kerlan-Jobe in Los Angeles confirmed the tear during Harper’s visit on Thursday morning.
Harper, who will miss games Sunday and possibly Tuesday after getting the injection, will start a throwing program after the four weeks are up, Girardi said. He can continue to swing a bat, and Girardi expects to use him at DH.
“He’ll stay in our lineup Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,” Girardi said.
Harper, playing as the DH, hit a solo home run in the first inning of Thursday’s game against the Dodgers.
The reigning NL MVP was hitting .269 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and an .847 OPS going into the series opener against Los Angeles.
“I miss playing,” Harper, who has played only right field in eight of the 31 games in which he has appeared this season, told reporters. “I miss being out there with my team and playing on the field. It’s been tough. I want to get back out there. I want to help this team on both sides of the ball. I miss playing right [field].”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com