On a tense Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, the crack of the bat, the roar of the fans, and the rhythm of the game all came to an end. The Phillies were facing the Braves, and who would have known that a great match would turn into a great controversy? A 95 mph fastball went off course in the first inning and hit Bryce Harper, the Phillies’ linchpin.
A smack in the elbow that just had surgery. The stadium, full of excitement just a moment before, turned silent. Harper left the field in pain, making fans and teammates hold their breath. The event wasn’t only a physical blow; it also shook up a team that had been doing well lately. And Harper has been a key player there! So, the effects of his injury go beyond the game itself and put a damper on the team’s hopes for the season.
Now, baseball follows several rules and traditions – both formal and an unwritten code of behavior. And when a star player like Harper gets struck, the buzz grows louder. Was it on purpose? What will happen next? And the pitcher in question… Spencer Strider.
Ruben Amaro Jr., the former general manager of the Phillies, chimed in! He was furious and said, “There’s a lot of baseball to play against the Atlanta Braves, and I will tell you that somebody on that mound will do the job by retaliating. I’m not sure when. They have plenty of time to do it. But it certainly should happen, because, for me, even if it wasn’t purposeful to hit him, I think that retaliation is the right thing to do.”
Phillies retaliating would be ‘right thing to do’ after Braves plunked Bryce Harper: Former GM https://t.co/vR4Kw7zcZe pic.twitter.com/gmhbGApgZM
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 29, 2025
Looking at Bryce Harper’s history with injury, the situation is concerning. He had Tommy John surgery in 2022 and then made a great comeback, becoming a key part of the Phillies’ offense. This season, he has a .234 batting average, six home runs, and 17 RBIs. The recent hit-by-pitch that caused an elbow bruise, thankfully, did not cause anything worrisome yet to show up on X-rays.
Still, the question that’s stuck in everyone’s mind is: Will the Phillies look to retaliate? Or will they move on? On the contrary, Strider is not very proud of what happened on the mound.
Strider: ‘He needs to be on the field’ after unintentional HBP on Harper
Spencer Strider, the Atlanta Braves’ pitcher, showed both improvement and inconsistency in the team’s 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He struck out seven batters in 4 2/3 innings, but he also walked four and hit Bryce Harper with a fastball in the first inning.
The pitch hit Harper on his surgically repaired right elbow, which made everyone worry then and there. Edmundo Sosa took over for Harper, who left the game in obvious distress. But it was not just his teammates. The pitcher was equally worried about Bryce Harper.
Mar 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Strider said he was glad that Harper’s injuries weren’t too bad. “I thought in the moment, I just assumed he had a guard on and was just pissed that I hit him. Saw him in pain. That was tough. I’m definitely relieved he’s OK. He’s one of the best players this century. He needs to be on the field. It’s best for the game. It’s good for us, good to compete against him.”
Not just that, he commented on himself, too. “I’m not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy. I do feel bad for him, to see a person in pain that I caused.”
Ultimately, Strider could keep the Phillies to only one run and one hit, showing that he can handle pressure. But his control problems, which show up as many walks and hits, are still a problem.
So, now, as the season goes on, it’s time to see whether the Braves will try to fix these problems.
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