Bryce Harper Placed On 10-Day IL, Otto Kemp Called Up In His Place
Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s another injury for Bryce Harper.
After returning for three games against the Toronto Blue Jays, after a five-game absence due to a hit by pitch to the elbow, Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper has been placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to June 6. The only difference between this absence and the previous one is that this injury is a right wrist inflammation.
In Harper’s place, the Phillies have selected the contract of utility man Otto Kemp. The Phillies have also recalled right-handed pitcher Daniel Robert and optioned fellow right-hander Alan Rangel to Lehigh Valley.
Before the start of the Phillies’ three-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, it was reported that Harper would miss the first game of the series due to a lingering wrist issue that had been bothering him for some time. According to Phillies manager Rob Thomson, Harper met with trainers on Friday, as it was bothering him a bit more. Harper was left out of the Phillies’ lineup Friday night and was considered day-to-day.
It’s a disappointing situation for the Phillies, who are currently in the midst of one of their worst losing streaks of the season. The team has lost seven of their last eight games, and have been outscored in those seven losses 44-17.
While the pitching staff has had its problems over the last ten days, the offense isn’t doing them favors as they’ve only scored more than four runs in two contests, one of them coming in a 17-7 blowout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Harper is the core of this team, and his absence over the past week and moving forward will be a big loss for the struggling Phillies. It will be on the shoulders of fellow veterans Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos to will this team until Harper can return.
While losing Harper is not great, replacing Harper is a player that many Phillies fans have urged the team to call up for the past month, in Otto Kemp. Kemp was signed back in 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of the Division II school, Point Loma Nazarene University. After working his way through the Phillies’ minor league system, Kemp eventually cracked into the Phillies’ top prospect ranking, getting as high as No. 24.
Kemp, 25, is primarily an infielder, playing either second or third base, but has spent time in the outfield this year in the minors.
This season with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Kemp has posted a .313/.416/.594 slash line with a 1.010 OPS. He’s also smacked 14 home runs and driven in 55 RBIs, and scored 49 runs. It’s been an impressive season for Kemp, who has now earned a chance to help the Phillies through their struggles.
Kemp will likely start Saturday’s game with lefty Andrew Heaney on the mound. Where Kemp plays will be a question as he could be the everyday third baseman with Alec Bohm moving to first base until Harper returns, or he could play left field in place of Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler.
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Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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