A swarm of reporters gathered around Bryce Harper in the Phillies dugout prior to the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels.
His perspective on Shohei Ohtani’s situation matters. The two-way sensation has a torn right UCL. Although it’s not official, Ohtani is likely heading for his second Tommy John surgery in five years. It’s a tough break for Ohtani, who is a free agent after this season.
Like Harper, Ohtani bats left and throws right-handed. Ohtani is shut down from throwing indefinitely, but for now, he will continue his season as a hitter. Harper spent most of last season as a designated hitter with a tear in his right UCL.
And if Ohtani is the most famous baseball player, Harper is probably No. 2. It’s why Harper took questions for over five minutes, with most of them being about Ohtani and the road ahead for him.
But Harper, who is back at first base Monday for the first time since Aug. 20, will likely get a chance to chat with Ohtani later tonight if he reaches on a base hit. It’s an opportunity for Harper, who is the Phillies’ unofficial chief free agent recruiter, to offer a playful pitch.
Harper laughed when the question was asked, but he shot down the idea of trying to lure Ohtani to Philadelphia.
“No. I mean he’s going to go where he feels best,” Harper said. “If that’s Anaheim or anywhere else. He’s gonna make the best decision for him and his family and himself as well. Wherever he goes, they’re gonna get a great player. A great person as well and I think not just myself, but everybody’s kind of excited to see what happens with his career and his free agency and where he ends up going.”
Harper has not been shy about openly speaking on pending free agents in the past. He said J.T. Realmuto needed to be re-signed at the end of the 2020 season. He said Trea Turner was his favorite player in baseball a few months before the Phillies signed him to a $300 million contract in December.
But Harper probably knows what we all know. Ohtani’s injury means there will be more intrigue — and perhaps more suitors — during his free agency, but there is little to no chance that Ohtani would sign with the Phillies. The two-way superstar is likely to sign with a west coast contender. A strong comment from Harper in that situation would have created unnecessary media speculation.
As far as the rehab goes, it should be a process Ohtani is familiar with.
“He’s been through it before,” Harper said. “He understands that his body works differently than a lot of other people around the league. He’s gotta pitch, he’s gotta hit. The daily grind of that, I can’t imagine. He does it on a high level on both sides. I hope he continues to do it on both sides. It’s fun to watch.
“Hopefully one day, we have multiple players in the league doing what he is doing. It’s very special. He’s one of the guys that can do it because he does have the body that he does and the mindset that he does. Hope it’s not too bad, like I said. I hope he can come back very strong and keep being Shohei because it’s very fun to watch.”
Regarding his own health, Harper says he hopes to play first base multiple times this week.
“Just trying to feel the best I can with what I’m going through,” Harper said. “Felt good today. Hopefully it’s a stepping stone into, like I said, playing multiple times this week on the field. Kind of go from there after tonight.”
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