The Phillies didn\u2019t get mad after Bryce Harper got drilled in the right elbow Tuesday by Braves ace Spencer Strider, at least not outwardly.<\/p>\n
Instead, they got even, as Max Kepler doubled home Alec Bohm in the bottom of the second, giving the Phillies\u2019 pitching staff all it needed for the 2-0 win against their rivals in the opener of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.<\/p>\n
It was a scary scene in the bottom of the first as Harper grimaced in pain and quickly exited the batter\u2019s box following a 95-mile per hour fastball that nailed the Phillies\u2019 best hitter on his surgically repaired right elbow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harper eventually went down to one knee, holding the elbow with his left hand as trainers tended to him, while the Bank crowd showered Strider with jeers.<\/p>\n
Harper left the game and was replaced by Edmundo Sosa to bat third in the order and play third base while Bohm moved from third to first.<\/p>\n
Fortunately for the Phillies, they announced that X-rays on Harper\u2019s right elbow came back negative, although that doesn\u2019t mean Harper\u2019s status for Wednesday night\u2019s game and beyond is certain.<\/p>\n
After the game, Phillies manager Rob Thomson expressed concern for the two-time MVP<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n Fortunately for the Braves, the year isn\u2019t 1986, or it\u2019s very likely that Braves slugger Ronald\u00a0Acu\u00f1a\u00a0Jr. would\u2019ve taken a\u00a0Ranger Su\u00e1rez\u00a0fastball to the backside as retaliation for Atlanta beaning the Phillies\u2019 best player.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fortunately for Strider, pitchers are no longer required to hit, so he didn\u2019t have to face the music in the batter\u2019s box, either.<\/p>\n Which raises this question for Wednesday night\u2019s game \u2013 should Phils starter Zack Wheeler, an old-school type as one of the few remaining starting pitchers who can still work deep into games \u2013 send a message to one of the Braves\u2019 hitters?<\/p>\n Retaliatory beanings used to be commonplace in MLB but aren\u2019t as frequent these days as the game has moved away from the heated brawls and \u201chead-hunting” from yesteryear.<\/p>\n Last month, Nationals reliever Jorge Lopez was suspended three games and fined for being deemed by MLB to be head-hunting\u00a0when he threw way up and way inside to Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen<\/a>. Nats manager Dave Martinez was also suspended one game and fined because of his reliever\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n The night before, Nationals infielder Paul DeJong exited early after being\u00a0hit in the face by Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller<\/a>, which led MLB to believe Lopez\u2019s actions the next night were in retaliation, even though Lopez had apologized after the game and said he wasn\u2019t trying to send a message.<\/p>\n So, back to the Phillies.<\/p>\n If Wheeler decided to waste a fastball somewhere on, or near, Acuna\u2019s body, would it be worth potentially losing the Phils\u2019 best starter \u2013 arguably the game\u2019s best starter \u2013 for a few days, along with their manager? Or possibly even more if a bench-clearing brawl ensued? Was winning the game, and potentially winning the series, enough revenge?<\/p>\n Those are the questions the Phillies have to ask themselves.<\/p>\n As for Strider, he denied intentionally hitting Harper, telling reporters after that\u00a0he was \u201ccertainly not trying to hit him\u201d<\/a> and that he was \u201cdefinitely relieved that he\u2019s OK,\u201d while also calling Harper \u201cone of the best players this century.\u201d<\/p>\n Strider added that he\u2019s not a \u201ccomplete sociopath\u201d and that, of course, he has some empathy for Harper. Strider also joked about the not-so-warm reception he received afterward from Phillies fans.<\/p>\n Strider could very well be telling the truth. He\u2019s coming back from an elbow surgery that cost him the entire 2024 season and sidelined him for the first few weeks of this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n When Strider made his season debut April 16 against the Blue Jays after a few dominant starts in Triple-A, it was seen as an earlier-than-expected MLB return. But he went back on the IL after the Blue Jays start because of a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n Even if the Phillies don\u2019t retaliate against the Braves on Wednesday, they\u2019ll always have this on Strider:<\/p>\n Painter, Abel To Start This Week<\/p>\n Phils top prospect Andrew Painter will make his fourth start for the IronPigs on Wednesday, Thomson told reporters prior to Tuesday\u2019s game<\/a>, and his final start before the calendar turns to June, which means the 22-year-old’s promotion to the big leagues could be about a month away.<\/p>\n Thomson reiterated that Painter\u2019s call-up is still planned for sometime in July, which leaves Painter about four more starts in Triple-A after Wednesday before he takes the main stage, if we\u2019re buying what Thomson is selling. So far, he’s 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 15 innings since his promotion to Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n The Phillies still haven\u2019t said whose spot in the rotation Painter would take, or if the team would move to a six-man rotation. After another gem by Ranger\u00a0Su\u00e1rez\u00a0on Tuesday against the Braves \u2013 eight strikeouts on four hits in six shutout innings \u2013 the Phillies have the NL\u2019s most wins by starting pitchers (23) and MLB\u2019s fourth-lowest ERA among starters (3.15).<\/p>\n As for another pitching prospect, Mick Abel’s next turn for the IronPigs is expected to be on Friday. Abel, once a top prospect who struggled to an ERA over 6.00 last year in Double- and Triple-A, has bounced back in 2025 and could either help the main club or become a valuable trade piece.<\/p>\n Abel struck out nine in his MLB debut<\/a> for the Phils\u00a0on May 18\u00a0in six scoreless innings against the Pirates before going back to Lehigh Valley and striking out eight in six innings while allowing just one run in his last start. Abel is 6-2 with a 2.41 ERA for the IronPigs, with 59 strikeouts in 51 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n SIGN UP HERE<\/a> to receive PhillyVoice’s Sports newsletters.<\/p>\n Follow Geoff on Twitter\/X: @geoffpmosher<\/a><\/p>\n