Bryce Harper is not a guy who shies away from inside pitches. He’s also not a guy who goes to the plate wearing armor on his body to protect him from being hit by a pitch or a foul ball. Those two things make him susceptible to an injury. In Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta, Harper took a pitch off his right elbow and instantly reacted, falling to one knee. Anyone who had not been fearing the worst when it initially happened certainly was when Harper walked to the clubhouse rather than down to first base.

Before the game was over, the Phillies announced that the x-rays on Harper’s elbow were negative, meaning there was no structural damage, leaving the diagnosis to be an elbow contusion (bruise). “Whenever one of your top hitters – or your best hitter – gets hit like that, there’s always concern,” said manager Rob Thomson after the game.

It doesn’t help that Harper was hit in the same elbow that he underwent Tommy John surgery on following the 2022 season. Harper has twice wound up on the IL after being hit by a pitch. The last time was in 2022 when he was hit on the thumb by Blake Snell. The scarier injury came a year earlier when Genesis Cabrera of the Cardinals hit Harper in the face. Even with the previous injuries and the surgery on his elbow, Harper has not taken to wearing an elbow guard like most players do when they step to the plate.

While the diagnosis is not as bad as first feared, it does not mean that Harper won’t miss time. Even if he does avoid a stint on the IL, it’s possible that Harper, who has been hot at the plate lately, could miss at least a few games. The injury could also affect his swing until it heals fully.