Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, with the team calling up prospect Otto Kemp to take his place on the roster.
On Friday, manager Rob Thomson told reporters the 32-year-old first baseman was dealing with soreness in his wrist from hitting — the team later revealed inflammation in his wrist was causing the discomfort. Harper missed five games after getting hit with a 95 mph fastball on his surgically repaired elbow. But until now, Harper was able to avoid the injured list.
While Harper’s absence is not ideal, Kemp has been impressive in Triple-A. Kemp has hit .313/.416/.594 for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this season, leading the International League with 14 home runs and 55 RBI.
Apart from his hitting success, Kemp has shown his versatility, making 33 starts at third base, 10 at second and seven at first and in left field. The Phillies are playing Kemp at third base, with Alec Bohm taking over at first base Saturday.
Kemp played Division II baseball at Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego before signing with the Phillies on a minor-league contract in 2022.
Harper is in his 14th MLB season and seventh in Philadelphia. He arrived in Philadelphia after seven seasons with the Washington Nationals. So far this season, Harper has nine home runs and 34 RBI.
The Phillies are 37-26, sitting second in the NL East. They continue their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 4:05 p.m. ET.
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