Phillies to activate Harper from IL Friday, lose Wheeler to forearm issue
The Philadelphia Phillies' lineup is set to receive a significant boost Friday, but their pitching staff is taking a huge hit at the same time.
Reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper will be activated from the injured list Friday, interim manager Rob Thomson announced, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. But just a few hours after that good news, the team announced ace Zack Wheeler was placed on the 15-day IL with right forearm tendinitis.
Harper has been sidelined since the end of June with a broken left thumb. The 29-year-old has been dominating on his rehab assignment, recording a pair of homers and a 2.325 OPS in two games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Harper's impressive performance at Triple-A made an impression on his teammates, who are ready for the slugger to return.
"Bring him up. He doesn't need more games," Phillies second baseman Jean Segura said Tuesday, according to the New York Post's Michael Blinn. "What is he doing down there? He's ready. Hopefully, he comes back quick. If he hit two homers, bring him up."
Harper's return will be a big boost to a Phillies lineup that entered play Thursday with a two-game cushion over the San Diego Padres for the second National League wild-card spot.
The seven-time All-Star was putting together another strong campaign before the injury. Harper owns a .984 OPS with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs, and nine stolen bases in 64 contests.
Wheeler, meanwhile, hits the IL after being shelled for 10 runs over his last two starts. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is optimistic that this won't be a long absence and is hopeful Wheeler will be able to return as soon as he's eligible on Sept. 6, according to Zolecki.
"He felt by all means that he could take the ball tomorrow," Dombrowski said, per Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. "But when we talked about it, we also felt that we much rather knock this thing out (now) and not have him go out there and continue to deal with this the rest of the season."
The 32-year-old, last year's NL Cy Young runner-up, has been enjoying another solid year for the Phillies, sporting a 3.07 ERA, 2.98 FIP, and 1.08 WHIP with 148 strikeouts across 138 innings.
Left-hander Bailey Falter is being recalled from Triple-A and will start Friday's game in place of Wheeler, according to Zolecki.