DUNEDIN, Fla. — The second time Blue Jays manager John Schneider brought in a lefty to face Bryce Harper in the middle of an inning during the fourth Grapefruit League game of the spring, Harper glared toward the Toronto dugout.
Schneider interpreted that as Harper wondering, “What are you doing?”
A fair question, considering it was Feb. 26. Richard Lovelady, a 29-year-old lefty reliever with 99 1/3 innings in the majors, appeared to face Harper in Wednesday’s sixth inning. The first pitch he threw Harper was a 90 mph sinker up and in. It buzzed by Harper’s head and struck the backstop.
Ominous.
The seventh pitch, a 2-2 sinker, also came up and in. It drilled Harper on the right triceps, then ricocheted near his head. His helmet flew off.
Bryce Harper left the game in the 6th inning after being hit by a pitch by Richard Lovelady. pic.twitter.com/WmTHoppEV7
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) February 26, 2025
Harper was not happy. He left the field with a team athletic trainer, underwent a quick examination, then showered and dressed. He drove away from TD Ballpark on his own. And that is how a rare Harper road trip in the Grapefruit League concluded.
He had a bruised triceps to show for it, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.
“We’re not overly concerned at all,” Thomson said.
Harper is not scheduled to play Thursday. The Phillies will examine him again. But, considering Harper’s history of missing significant time after being struck by a wayward pitch, the Phillies felt lucky.
Schneider said he hoped Harper was OK. As for the mid-inning pitching changes to secure left-on-left matchups in this all-important contest?
“It just kind of worked out with the pitch count … but definitely not by design,” Schneider said. “Not trying to skate the three-batter minimum right now.”
Harper probably wasn’t supposed to be here, so maybe that added to the frustration. He was scheduled to make his spring debut Monday against Paul Skenes, but rain washed away that game. He wasn’t making the 105-mile journey to Port Charlotte, Fla., on Tuesday. And, even though Dunedin is a mere minutes from the Phillies’ complex, Harper does not often play road spring games, especially early in the spring schedule when teams are using more minor-league pitchers.
In all, Toronto hit three different Phillies with pitches Wednesday. It’s a time of year when Thomson holds his breath.
“Later in camp, starters are stretched out a little bit,” he said. “You’re getting into your normal bullpen guys. You don’t have as many guys in camp. Guys are built up.”
Thomson said he plans to keep his starting infield together this spring as much as possible to promote better communication and flow. That means when one of them plays, the other three will too. So they’re all off on Thursday, not just Harper.
Harper, by all accounts, was more mad than injured.
“I’m sure,” Thomson said. “Anytime he gets hit. Left on left. He’ll be fine.”
An outfield bright spot
Gabriel Rincones Jr. might be the biggest beneficiary of a depleted outfield depth chart; he’s appeared in all four of the Phillies’ exhibition games so far. Rincones homered again Wednesday, this time to the opposite field, and it came against Blue Jays righty José Berríos.
“This guy can really hit,” Thomson said. “I mean, you see how he uses the field. It looks like he stays in on lefties. … He’s a good player. He plays every pitch on defense. He’s ready. He’s a talented kid.”
It’s a good first impression — nothing more, nothing less. Rincones is 2-for-7 with two homers and a walk. He’s looked a little shaky in the field at times; Rincones is known for his power potential. He was a third-round pick in the 2022 MLB amateur draft.
Another day, another dinger for Gabriel Rincones Jr.! pic.twitter.com/5zoNe3Z3yW
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) February 26, 2025
A good spring could push Rincones to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Injuries have truncated his first three professional seasons. Rival evaluators have varying opinions about his potential future role, but most see him as a platoon outfielder.
He’s hit .203/.315/.301 in 143 plate appearances against lefties while in the minors. That area will need improvement if he’s to score a bigger role.
The Phillies have an abundance of lefty-hitting outfielders; Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler will comprise two-thirds of the outfield. Justin Crawford, another prospect, bats left-handed.
But Rincones, who turns 24 in March, can at least make the Phillies think this spring about how he fits down the line.
Triple digits in February
John McMillon threw 17 pitches — 10 of them strikes — in his first Grapefruit League outing with the Phillies over the weekend. The 17th pitch meant something. Creed Willems, a Baltimore minor leaguer who has never played above Double A, popped it into the sky. McMillon looked up, saw it was routine for the shortstop, then glanced above the seats along the first-base line. That’s where the radar gun spits out a number.
He had thrown that fastball at 100.2 mph.
Was he looking for the velocity before the ball landed in his teammate’s glove?
“Of course not,” said McMillon, as he nodded his head yes.
McMillon, at this point, is a curiosity. The Phillies claimed him on waivers during the offseason, then removed him from their 40-man roster. McMillon ended last season on the injured list with what the Miami Marlins termed as “right elbow tightness.” McMillon said it was a lingering injury that had affected him for much of 2024. He experienced numbness in his hand and arm, which McMillon said was a possible result of thoracic outlet syndrome.
The condition has since improved, McMillon said.
“I don’t think it was ever properly addressed,” McMillon said. “And the medical staff here, strength coaches, everyone — they’ve been really helpful.”
McMillon had hit 100 mph four times before in 2023 while with the Kansas City Royals. But he has often struggled to throw strikes. The 27-year-old reliever has a career 18 percent walk rate in the minors. He has a violent, max-effort delivery that could make strike-throwing a challenge.
Maybe he’s something. Maybe not. The Phillies will have time to see in the minors this season. For now, he’ll take the triple digits on the scoreboard.
“It’s good to see,” he said.
(Top photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
The Athletic’s Jayson Stark contributed to this report.
