Questions asked and questions answered; Is Bryce Harper’s elbow okay? Yes. Will wearing the elbow guard negatively affect his swing? No. On the third pitch that Harper saw in his first game back after being hit in the elbow by Spencer Strider of the Braves, Harper took an 0-2 pitch and deposited it 394 away from home plate, going back-to-back with Trea Turner. The home run – which exited at a speed of 104.9 mph – was Harper’s ninth home run of the season, while Turner’s was his sixth and later, he would hit his seventh. The Phillies went on to win the series opener in Toronto 8-3.

Harper missed five games after exiting last Tuesday after the hit by pitch. The team came into Toronto limping thanks to a four-game losing streak as they lost the final game of the Braves series and then were swept by Milwaukee at home over the weekend. Harper also walked twice and scored twice in the win.

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Bryce Harper didn’t take long to make an impact on the Phillies offense. In his first at-bat he went deep to give the Phillies back-to-back home runs and a 3-0 lead before an out was even recorded.

Turner finished the night with three hits, two home runs, three RBI, and two runs scored. The shortstop also upped his average on the season to .305 with the big night. Alec Bohm had four singles and scored a run as his average moved up to .277 after a disastrous start at the plate this season.

Cristopher Sanchez, who was initially supposed to pitch Wednesday, was bumped up in the order when the Phillies skipped Zack Wheeler, whose wife is expecting the couple’s fourth child any day. Sanchez allowed one earned run in six innings, but struggled with his control, walking four batters and striking out only four. Sanchez threw 96 pitches, 55 were for strikes.

Mick Abel will start Wednesday in Toronto after being recalled. The move allows the young pitching prospect to fill in for Aaron Nola, who is on the injured list. It also lets the Phillies move Taijuan Walker to the bullpen where they believe he may be able to provide some help toward the back end of games and in high-leverage situation. The Phillies officially placed Wheeler on the paternity list to make room on the roster for Abel.