Harper could ‘possibly’ be back Tuesday along with Schwarber originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
ATLANTA – Bryce Harper ran the bases Sunday at Truist Park at or near 100% speed.
Kyle Schwarber did it for the second day in a row.
Schwarber (groin) is on track to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday against the Dodgers when he is eligible for the first time.
Will Harper (hamstring) also be back on Tuesday?
“Possibly,” manager Rob Thomson said before the Phillies’ series finale against the Braves.
Running the bases was the final test for both players, who were placed on the injured list last Friday. The Phillies have gone 5-3 without them, but are obviously missing their two biggest hitters.
David Dahl seems like an obvious casting casualty when the pair are back together. He is batting .207 with 21 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances and has struck out 10 of his last 11 at-bats. He sat down on Sunday against a right-handed starting pitcher, which was telling. Dahl is out of minor league options, so the Phillies would have to designate him to remove him from the active roster.
The other decision may be more difficult. Kody Clemens could be optioned to Triple A, which would be the most straightforward move because the Phillies wouldn’t risk losing anyone from the organization. They could also DFA Cristian Pache or Whit Merrifield. Considering how much the Phillies and most teams value roster flexibility, Clemens seems like the most likely candidate.
JT Realmuto is further behind Harper and Schwarber, but should be back after the All-Star break. Realmuto (recovering from right meniscus surgery) continued to receive squat drills, and all three players hit the cage on Sunday.
Walker Update
Taijuan Walker is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, and then could throw live batting practice on Saturday.
The upcoming bullpen session will be Walker’s first since he went on the injured list on June 23 with a blister that prevented him from effectively throwing the splitter, his best pitch. To this point, he has been throwing more touch-and-feel pitches.
“Division is better,” Thomson said. “We don’t have a speedometer yet, but we should on Wednesday.”
Walker will go home to Arizona during the All-Star break but will continue to play. He will require several starts of rehab before returning to the Phillies rotation.
