97.5 The Fanatic Phillies Notebook: What To Consider About Bryce Harper, Lingering Wrist Issue

The fireworks lit up the summer sky above Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies picked up their 19th series victory of the season in more stable and convincing fashion than at other points in the roller coaster ride of 2025.

Combine Bryce Harper’s return from the injured list after his wrist inflammation with a New York Mets slump. You’ve got a good formula to help Phillies fans temper their emotions toward the club’s easily-identifiable flaws just in time for the July 4th holiday.

Dave Dombrowski built the Phillies on the strength of a dominant starting rotation. The impact of the staff was never more clear than against the Padres.

Zack Wheeler mowed down the Padres to put the Phillies ahead in the series opener. He strengthened his case to start for the National League in the MLB All-Star Game with eight shutout innings and 10 strikeouts. He stunningly allowed two earned runs in five starts during the month of June over 31 innings pitched.

The third double header of the season turned out a lot like the first two – in a split. Mick Abel took the Phillies out of the first game with an early implosion to begin the day.

Cristopher Sanchez, conversely, then cruised seven strong innings of one-run ball to set up a series clincher in the nightcap.

The typically fluky Phillies offense evened out their production with four, four, and five runs in the respective games. They lean on starting pitching as the base of their club, and their results in the San Diego series directly correlated with outings from Wheeler, Abel, and Sanchez.

Abel’s hiccup dropped the Phillies narrowly below the major league lead in starting pitcher ERA. However, they lead the majors in innings pitched, strikeouts, quality starts, and WAR (FanGraphs).

Rob Thomson was asked how many Phillies starting pitchers he expects to earn All-Star bids.

He complimented the most productive unit of his ball club with the same calm demeanor he presents himself with during losing streaks. 

The fourth-year manager also redirected credit for his 300th career managing victory back to his players after the series opener.

Not many struggling lineups have the luxury of adding a two-time MVP.

The Phillies welcomed Bryce Harper back to the three-hole to begin the homestand after he missed 22 games with right wrist inflammation. Opposing pitchers must immediately adjust their approach to the Phillies with Harper’s power in the middle of the order.

Harper started 0/2 with a walk in his first game off the IL. He blooped a base hit into center field in the first inning of the front end of the double header but finished 1/4 with two strikeouts. He also struggled to extend his hands on a 95 mile per hour fastball up in the zone from Nick Pivetta in his second at-bat.

The Phillies rank 16th in the majors in both home runs and doubles. They’ll look to Harper to solve the power outage in a big second half with supreme implications for the future of the franchise.

He hit the IL with an underwhelming .258 batting average and .814 OPS, well below his .285 and .924 respective yearly averages in his first six seasons with the Phillies.

He still remarkably ranks in the 90th percentile of all MLB hitters with a .438 slugging percentage in a year when offense is hard to come by.

Will Harper remain in the lineup despite the lingering injury? He made waves immediately after he was activated describing the injury progress at a standstill. The concern isn't immediate, but it is real.

The 32-year-old superstar sat the second game of the double header. Thomson called it precautionary. Harper was available to pinch hit, but he didn't get the opportunity in a 5-1 victory.

Jayson Stark added more fuel to the concern as a guest on 97.5 The Fanatic by pointing to the StatCast data on Harper's swing paths.

Thomson expects Harper to sit more frequently in the second half. The Phillies have the convenience of off-days on six consecutive Thursdays with the All-Star Break from July 14-17 situated in the middle.

The Showman will now temper his competitive juices with a lighter workload hoping to reach Red October healthy.

The extra rest opens the door for Otto Kemp to keep his role on the big club. If he effectively relieves Harper, the 25-year-old rookie could also overtake Max Kepler in a wide-open competition for playing time in left field.

The Phillies found themselves in an early 5-0 hole in the first half of their Wednesday double header.

Mick Abel lasted only 1⅔ innings in the worst outing of his short MLB career. The embattled former first-round pick walked five of the 11 hitters he faced. He threw 25 strikes and 28 balls.

Manny Machado smacked a hanging curveball down the left field line to clear the bases with a three-run double that ended Abel’s afternoon. The 23-year-old entered the start with a 3.47 ERA that rose to 5.04. 

Abel allowed three home runs against the Chicago Cubs on June 10 and four against the New York Mets on June 21. He was able to maintain respectability in both cases by battling for a few key outs in crucial situations.

However, he’s benefitted from a low opponent average on balls hit into play despite giving up hard contact consistently during his time at the big league level. The seven long balls against the Cubs and Mets were also, remarkably, all solo shots.

His Houdini magic dried up when Machado broke the game open for the Padres.

Abel deserves credit for two excellent starts out of the gate to begin a major league career that many people thought would never come to fruition entering the 2025 season. His admirable story of perseverance won’t outweigh command issues to keep him in the majors though. Will the Phillies pull the plug?

Dombrowski set the subjective “Julyish” timeline for Andrew Painter to reach the majors in 2025. The calendar has flipped, and the top pitching prospect could bump Abel in the coming weeks.

Thomson doesn’t expect Painter to get the call before the All-Star Break. The Phillies will most likely need one more trip through the rotation from the fifth starter until then.

Thomson has tempered the excitement surrounding Painter by insisting that the top pitching prospect needs to earn his major league starts just like any other pitcher. He, like everyone in the organization, is also aware of Painter’s tremendously high ceiling as a major league ace.

What happens to Abel if he forfeits the fifth spot in the rotation to Andrew Painter? The Phillies would likely send Abel back to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Dombrowski will also continue his trade conversations ahead of the deadline on July 31 intent on acquiring current major leaguers while holding onto Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford.

Abel’s name will inevitably come up in those conversations behind the organization's top prospects. His value has dipped with the recent struggles, but the Phillies might use him as a secondary trade chip. The roller coaster of his 2025 season could now carry him to another organization.

The Phillies will host the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park for a three-game weekend set. The series will begin with an afternoon game on the 4th of July.

All numbers as of the beginning of play on July 3. All advanced stats courtesy of StatCast, Baseball Reference, and FanGraphs.