Bryce Harper’s migraine not related to Tomas Nido throw

15.05.2024 00:53

Phillies Nation

Bryce Harper was lifted from the Phillies starting lineup shortly before first pitch on Tuesday. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire)

NEW YORK — Approximately 13 minutes before the scheduled first pitch of Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets at Citi Field, Bryce Harper was scratched from the lineup with a migraine.

He was accidentally hit in the head with a throw back to the mound from Mets catcher Tomas Nido in the first inning on Monday. He finished the game, but there was some concern that the migraine that popped up the next day was related to the play.

That was quickly debunked by Rob Thomson.

“It had nothing to do with it,” he said postgame in his office after the Phillies’ 4-0 win.

Thomson added that Harper felt better after a couple hours and was available off the bench in a pinch hit situation.

That wasn’t the only good injury news for the Phillies. J.T. Realmuto (knee) ran, took swings in the cages, threw and caught Aaron Nola in between innings when Garrett Stubbs needed extra time to get his gear on. Barring “anything weird happening,” Realmuto is expected to be back in the lineup and behind the dish for Wednesday’s game against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park.

Without Harper, the Phillies went with an atypical infield alignment of Alec Bohm at first base, Kody Clemens at second, Bryson Stott at shortstop and Whit Merrifield at third base.

The unit played well behind Nola, who had a perfect game heading into the sixth. Clemens in particular made a pair of great plays on hard-hit balls off Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor. The infield also executed a smooth 5-4-3 double play to get Nola out of the seventh inning as part of a rare three-pitch inning.

The thinking behind the alignment, according to Thomson, was to keep the middle infielders Stott and Clemens where they were originally scheduled to be since they had done pregame infield work at their respective positions.

The Phillies, thanks to Nola’s nine innings, will have every reliever out of the bullpen available for Wednesday’s game. The Mets, meanwhile, dealt with a pitching shortage on Tuesday that will impact the next day’s plans.

Wednesday’s scheduled starter Adrian Houser had to warm up during the Phillies’ two-run ninth inning. As he result, he will no longer start tomorrow’s game. Instead, the Mets plan on calling up lefty Joey Lucchesi for his season debut, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman.

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