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Tag: Bryce Harper

  • ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Kevin Stocker on the infield shuffle, why Trea Turner isn’t an outfielder, and more

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Kevin Stocker on the infield shuffle, why Trea Turner isn’t an outfielder, and more

    In trading for Luis Arráez at the deadline, the Phillies displaced three-fourths of their infield with less than 50 games left in the season.

    It was unprecedented.

    Kevin Stocker, the Phillies’ pennant-winning shortstop in 1993 and now a member of the radio broadcast team, joined The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast, to share his thoughts on all the moving parts — Bryson Stott to third base, Alec Bohm to first, and Bryce Harper to right field — as well as the one player who stayed put: shortstop Trea Turner.

    Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

    Q: What was your reaction when you heard the Phillies were trading for Luis Arráez, and that they were going to uproot three-quarters of the infield with less than 50 games left in the season?

    A: I was happy because it was Luis Arráez. I like the kind of player that he is offensively, and very confused, I guess, onto the limitations he kind of put on if he was only going to play second. I got so many feelings about uprooting three guys in the middle of the season. It’s not like it’s new. We’ve seen this before with other guys. I think the most recent maybe Mookie Betts has moved. I remember back in the day, Robin Yount moved out to center because of an injury, but never three guys at once. So I guess if we were to take each spot as it is, for example, Bryson Stott having to move from second to third. I don’t think it’s going to affect Bryson as much, other than the fact … the middle infield, shortstop, and second base are your main spots that handle most of the baseballs. To me, Bryson Stott is probably the best fielder, definitely on this team. I know he’s not an All-Star. … He’s the captain of the infield, and now you’re moving him out of there. That was my first concern.

    … He’s constantly directing traffic, calling timeout. He’s helping the pitcher. You’re going to lose some of that by bumping him over to third base. However, defensively, I think he’ll be fine. He’s played that side of the infield, super strong arm. I don’t worry about him over there at all.

    Now you bump Bohm over to first. Now I think Alec has done tremendous things at third as far as making strides. He’s worked his tail off. He’s become pretty comfortable. I wouldn’t say he’s the best third baseman, anything like that. But he’s solid over there. At first base, to me, he’s got a lot to learn. I love the fact that he’s 6-5. If I was a shortstop throwing over there, I would want the tall first baseman. Fred McGriff was over there for me, and I loved that. So it’s going to take him a little while, I think, to kind of get better at first base.

    So that is a little bit interesting to me. It’s going to take him a while. I’m not sure how that’s going to go. I will say that in the same breath, I love that Harper’s going back to right field. … and here’s why. One, he’s a hitter first. When he’s on that field, he’s thinking about hitting. When he goes to first base to play defense, he’s still thinking about hitting. I’ve played with a lot of guys in my career, and all the hitters were the same. The guys in the outfield, I would look out in left field, and I might see a guy out there who’s a hitter, and he’s in between pitches. He’s working on a swing, and I’m like, ‘Hey, man, we got to play defense.’

    Luis Arraez is the latest Phillie Justin Crawford has pulled aside to ‘pick his brain’

    The infield demands so much focus all the time, and at first base, Bryce was good. He’s very athletic, but I think there was a lot of balls over there that he wasn’t comfortable maybe helping Trea out or helping the infielders out. Not that he was bad. I don’t know that he’s having the greatest year this year, but a couple years ago he was fine. I just think in right field to me, he will be a better hitter, better player, and happier. That’s just me. I haven’t seen him play a lot of right field, and I also think it takes care of the right field problem that the Phillies had. So you get Luis Arraez and people are like, ‘Why didn’t we go get a right fielder?’ Well, the Phillies did. They bumped Bryce out there and now they have one.

    Trea Turner’s 18 errors are second in baseball only to the Nationals’ CJ Abrams (19) going into Monday’s games.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Q: What’s your take on leaving Trea Turner at shortstop and moving everyone else around?

    A: I never saw Trea play outfield. I saw him play a little bit at second base. That was with the Dodgers for a short period of time, and I don’t think he was comfortable over there. But a lot of people want Trea to go to the outfield. So this is what I would say with that in the outfield. I’ve watched Trea long enough to know now that he is not the most aggressive player defensively. And what I mean by that is, for example, if he’s going back on a popup over his head, it’s pretty ginger when he goes back there. Whereas Bryson Stott just goes … running back. Trea doesn’t play that way. He’s a little bit more cautious.

    Trea Turner isn’t moving off shortstop (yet). The Phillies’ goal for now: Help him get better.

    So now everybody wants him to go to center. You do not want a cautious center fielder. That’ll totally mess up the corners. Now you got [Brandon] Marsh, and you got Harp over here. I’ve talked to [infield coach] Bobby [Dickerson] about this a lot. He’s worked so hard at shortstop. He’s not having that great year that he had last year, a much better year. I just don’t know if he’s better anywhere else on the field. And if you asked me to disrupt three guys, Turner would be the last one I would want to disrupt right now because that would just create a lot more problems in his head. And he’s starting to hit.

    The other thing about Trea, he is just like Harper. He is a hitter first, defense second. When I played, I was defense all the way. I think Stott is defense first, and then kind of mixes in the offense. So as a hitter-first guy, you’re going to get some years that are good. You’re going to get some years that he struggles, and it’s been a challenge there. But I just don’t think it would have been a wise move for me to move him. I just think that would have created more problems in his head.

    Kevin Stocker, seen here sliding into third base past the Expos’ Doug Strange for a triple in 1997, played five seasons with the Phillies.George Widman / AP
    Q: How was shortstop different for you when you were 24, 25, vs. when you were 30? How does it get harder as you get a little older?

    A: Well, there’s a couple of things. The most direct thing that gets tougher, whether you’re 30 or 33, you start to, I don’t want to say lose a step, but I needed to go out and take ground balls at full speed on Sunday morning when I did not want anything to do with that. I didn’t want to go take ground balls or BP. When I was younger, I was so jazzed. I was like, ‘I’m going to go to the park, and I would go get Bowa and say, ‘Let’s go take ground balls.’ … As you get older, you start to lose that edge. You start having to go out. … you’re just not getting in the same work, and so then what happens is you’re not quite playing … I call it playing on the edge. That’s where you want to be. So that’s one thing.

    Chase Utley’s path to the Phillies Wall of Fame was forged with hours in the video room

    And then you just don’t recover as quickly. You just don’t. Like that dive [Turner] had the other day, it was very jarring. When you lay out and you land on your chest, it is a huge jarring. … that stuff gets tougher to recover from the next day. You’re rolling out of bed, like I got hit by a truck. So the amount of work — that’s why I admire Edmundo Sosa, who has all these positions. He’s out there every day. He has to in order to keep the legs and the body moving.

    But I do remember that last year. I think I was even in camp with the Rockies. It was right before I retired, and I went out and played a little bit of shortstop. And I’m like, I’m not moving as fast as the other guy that’s 25, 26 to my left and right. So that’s one of the things I think is just keeping the edge to go out there and make sure you get the right amount of work in. I really admire the fact that Trea, at his age at 33, and the amount of time he’s played, hasn’t really lost a step. I don’t think he has. Sprinting and running. I think he’s guarded as times, like he’s not running full speed all the time, but I don’t know if he has to.

  • Senate, Congress members demand FanDuel eliminate VIP programs for bettors, citing Bryce Harper controversy

    Senate, Congress members demand FanDuel eliminate VIP programs for bettors, citing Bryce Harper controversy

    Three members of Congress on Monday demanded that FanDuel Sportsbook end its VIP reward program and called on Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to prohibit athletes from doing promotional work for gambling entities in response to a “deeply disturbing” controversy involving Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper and a VIP bettor who had a gambling addiction.

    The Inquirer reported in July that a FanDuel VIP manager had sent a personal video greeting from Harper in 2024 to Terry Thompson, a Montgomery County resident who ultimately lost $1.5 million on bets that he placed with the sportsbook operator.

    Harper later said that he had recorded the message through the video service Cameo, but didn’t know that FanDuel would utilize the 21-second video as a reward for a gambler.

    “FanDuel should not be using reckless and unscrupulous loyalty programs to drive bettors into debt and addiction,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) and U.S. Reps. Paul D. Tonko (D., N.Y.) and Valerie P. Foushee (D., N.C.) wrote to the company’s CEO, Christian Genetski. “As such, we strongly demand FanDuel to end its VIP program for bettors, especially those suffering from a gambling addiction, on its platform.”

    Thompson planned to die by suicide earlier this year, rather than confess to his family the scope of his losses, according to a lawsuit that the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute filed in March on Thompson’s behalf against FanDuel and DraftKings, which had also allegedly provided him with VIP perks.

    The three Democrats, who cited The Inquirer’s reporting in their letter, asked Genetski to respond by Aug. 24 to eight questions about the company’s practices, including whether FanDuel VIP managers have sent videos of other athletes or celebrities to gamblers, and if the company monitors those managers to ensure they’re not extending predatory offers to problem gamblers.

    The lawmakers wrote that VIP managers foster “false friendships” with gamblers to entice them to place additional bets.

    Thompson has alleged that his FanDuel VIP host sometimes asked about his family, and provided him with tickets to two Super Bowls and Champagne.

    In an emailed statement, a FanDuel spokesperson did not respond to the congress members’ demand to end its VIP program, but said that the company employs a monitoring system to flag concerning patterns and “trained specialists” to help gamblers who show signs of harmful behavior.

    “Customer protection informs every decision we make as an organization, and we do not compromise when it comes to doing the right thing for our customers,” the spokesperson said.

    Prominent advertising for theScore Bet can now be found in right field at Citizens Bank Park. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    In a separate letter to MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred and Bruce Meyer, the players union’s interim executive director, the lawmakers called for “an end to the MLB and MLBPA policies that enabled this type of predatory promotion.”

    MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire in December, allows athletes to appear in advertisements or make personal appearances for casinos, racetracks, or sportsbook companies, so long as the ballplayers do not encourage betting on baseball.

    That players aren’t prohibited from doing promotional work for gambling companies is a “systemic failure,” the lawmakers wrote, “rooted in the deep enmeshment between leagues, teams, and sports books.”

    A representative for Major League Baseball declined Monday to comment.

    As part of negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement with MLB, the players union is seeking more freedom for players to seek endorsements from sportsbook operators and prediction markets, ESPN has reported.

    MLBPA declined to comment.

    Blumenthal, Tonko, and Foushee also asked MLB and MLBPA to respond to questions about their partnerships with sportsbook operators. The lawmakers said that the league and the players union “must not allow players, regardless of their level of awareness, to legitimize sportsbook VIP programs designed to exploit the most vulnerable fans.”

    Elected officials in Pennsylvania are separately planning legislation that would restrict or eliminate sportsbook VIP programs, and in-game microbets, an effort that Joe Maloney, the president of the Sports Betting Alliance — a national advocacy organization whose members include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, and Fanatics — said the organization will oppose.

    The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you or someone you know wants to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com and wbender@inquirer.com

  • Aaron Nola has an injury scare in Phillies’ 7-5 loss to Blue Jays in extras

    Aaron Nola has an injury scare in Phillies’ 7-5 loss to Blue Jays in extras

    Aaron Nola and Max Scherzer have battled over the years.

    Saturday night marked the seventh time the two pitchers have faced head-to-head. Scherzer, 42, has been limited this year with Toronto due to injuries, and entered the game with a 7.92 ERA. He’s on a one-year deal; it’s fair to wonder if their seventh meeting could also be their last.

    It was fitting in Saturday’s 7-5 extra-innings Phillies loss that they each made history. The game was momentarily paused in the second inning to celebrate the Phillies right-hander after he struck out Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela looking on a sinker.

    Phillies taking caution with Bryce Harper’s move to the outfield; Alec Bohm has preplanned day off

    Nola’s third strikeout of the game was the 2,000th of his career, making him the 94th pitcher in baseball history to reach the milestone. He accomplished it in his 308th start, the 10th-fastest ever.

    “It’s funny I’m pitching against Scherzer,” Nola said. “I’ve got a long way to catch up with him.”

    Not to be outdone, Scherzer’s called strikeout of Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning was his 3,516th career strikeout, which moved him into 10th all-time in MLB history.

    “It’s a challenge, for sure. He’s pitched a long time, and he’s still so good,” Nola said of facing Scherzer. “We’ve seen him so much, and it’s so good to watch him go out there. He’s a ultimate competitor, and obviously he’s a Hall of Famer, no doubt.”

    Nola didn’t leave the game on a high note, however. He was removed in the sixth inning with a bruised right knee after Jesús Sánchez hit him with a 104.8 mph comebacker. X-rays were negative, and he said afterward he felt fine and expects to make his next start.

    The Phillies had plenty of opportunities to back Nola’s milestone with a win. But Nathan Lukes’ two-out, two-run homer in the 11th proved to be the fatal blow.

    “We just got to find ways to finish it off,” Trea Turner said. “I feel like it’s not always one thing to point at. We can do all things better, but it feels like late in games where we could break it open and put it away, I feel like we’re not doing that. So just keep working and try to figure that part out.”

    Nola exited at 97 pitches, and was nearing the end of his outing. He had allowed two runs on six hits and had struck out eight. The Phillies were trailing, 2-0, after failing to provide him any run support.

    Luis Arraez’s biggest strength made him a logical cleanup hitter for Don Mattingly. And it’s worked.

    It’s been a struggle for Nola this year. But over his last three starts, he has a 3.24 ERA. Home runs continue to be an issue, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took him deep in the first inning. When Nola can limit the homers to solo shots, though, he gives his team a fighting chance.

    But the first two times through the order, the Phillies offense was making Scherzer look like his vintage self. For five innings, he held them off the scoreboard while they mustered just three singles.

    “He looked really good tonight,” Turner said. “Velo was there. I felt like his command was really good. He made it tough on us for a while, and then we got to him a little late. But he looked pretty sharp.”

    The third time through the order was different. Back-to-back homers from Turner and Bryce Harper, both off sliders, brought the crowd right back into it and abruptly ended Scherzer’s night in the sixth inning. And when Blue Jays reliever Spencer Miles took the mound, hits became contagious.

    Luis Arraez singled, advanced to third on a Bryson Stott double, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Marsh, dodging the tag at the plate.

    Justin Crawford celebrates after hitting a sixth inning RBI triple.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Then, Justin Crawford came inches away from homering into the Phillies’ bullpen in center field. It bounced off the wall instead, and Crawford settled for an RBI triple after flying around the bases to give the Phillies a 4-2 lead.

    In the eighth inning, José Alvarado coughed it up. His command was erratic — at times completely wild — and he had walked two batters but was on the verge of escaping the inning. Free-swinging Andrés Giménez fell behind 0-2 chasing two pitches outside of the zone.

    But Alvarado left a sinker right down the middle for Giménez to punch a game-tying two-run double to center.

    “Anytime your guys out of the pen walk guys, that makes you uncomfortable, especially late in the game,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Because it usually causes traffic, and the game has a better chance of spiraling on you.”

    Mattingly called on Brooks Raley, Jonathan Bowlan, and Jhoan Duran to pitch an inning each in relief. Orion Kerkering took over from Alvarado in the eighth and faced one batter. With the bullpen stretched thin over the past week, that left Chase Shugart for extra innings.

    Trea Turner isn’t moving off shortstop (yet). The Phillies’ goal for now: Help him get better.

    With the ghost runner on second, Shugart walked Davis Schneider on five pitches in the 10th inning. He induced a soft grounder from Ernie Clement to first, but a mental lapse from Alec Bohm — who had entered as a defensive replacement for Schwarber when the Phillies were leading — at first base allowed him to reach. Bohm hesitated before tossing the ball to Shugart, and Clement beat out the throw.

    “It looked a little bit indecisive,” Mattingly said. “I looked at it quickly, and I would say that’s part of it. Just not playing over there enough.”

    Mattingly stood firm postgame in his decision to bring Bohm in at first over Schwarber in the eighth due to his superior infield experience. The Phillies were leading by two, and Mattingly was betting on Schwarber’s spot in the lineup not coming up again. After Toronto tied the game, Bohm flew out in the bottom of the ninth and was on deck during the final out in the 11th.

    Phillies pitcher Chase Shugart covers his face after giving-up a two-run homer in the 11th inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “You don’t really want it to come up. Trying to win in nine, honestly, trying to make sure the game doesn’t go past nine,” Mattingly said. “So you can always play it safe. Maybe if you don’t make a play over there, then you’re going to kick yourself for not defending. It’s going to go either way.”

    Bohm’s play on the grounder from Clement was scored a hit, which loaded the bases for Giménez. He then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. The Phillies tied it again in the bottom of the 10th on their own sacrifice fly, but couldn’t push across the go-ahead run.

    Shugart had Lukes down to two strikes in the 11th before he left a sweeper belt-high for the Toronto right fielder. Lukes sent it 395 feet into the seats.

    The Phillies went down in order in the bottom of the inning, sealing the series loss.

  • Phillies taking caution with Bryce Harper’s move to the outfield; Alec Bohm has preplanned day off

    Phillies taking caution with Bryce Harper’s move to the outfield; Alec Bohm has preplanned day off

    As Bryce Harper builds back up as an outfielder for the first time since 2022, the Phillies are remaining cautious with him.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly gave Harper a break from right field on Saturday against the Blue Jays, penciling him in the lineup at designated hitter. Kyle Schwarber made his third appearance of the season at first base, while Alec Bohm had the day off. Bryan De La Cruz started in right field.

    Mattingly thinks Harper has been fine defensively in a five-game sample in the outfield so far.

    Luis Arraez’s biggest strength made him a logical cleanup hitter for Don Mattingly. And it’s worked.

    “I think he looks more and more comfortable to me as he’s been out there,” Mattingly said. “The hardest thing for me is just depth perception out there. I’ve actually experienced it going from first, playing it for almost two years, and then asking me to go to left one day, and it didn’t go that well. So the depth perception thing is something that you always work on. The first step, getting angles, things like that.”

    Harper made one mistake on Wednesday, failing to immediately back up a ball hit to center field in the 11th inning against the Nationals. Derek Hill crashed into the fence trying to field it and stayed on the ground, while Harper didn’t move in right field until the ball started rolling in his direction.

    The delayed reaction allowed CJ Abrams to reach third on a triple. Mattingly said Harper’s lapse was a matter of not having enough reps.

    “Just wasn’t in the backing that play up, which is kind of a weird play, dead center in this ballpark. It’s not the one off that wall. But other than that, he’s stayed under control,” Mattingly said.

    Bryce Harper moved back to the outfield after the Phillies traded for Luis Arraez at the trade deadline.Matt Slocum

    Harper is still building up his arm, and he made a few strong throws on Friday night against Toronto. Late in games when the Phillies are leading, Mattingly has taken Harper out for a defensive replacement to give him an inning off his feet.

    Rest and days at designated hitter are going to be important for keeping Harper, 33, healthy the rest of the season.

    “I still think we’re going to have to be careful,” Mattingly said. “It’s a read that kind of goes back into our medical meetings every day, how he’s feeling and how everything’s going. There’s going to be days if he’s more sore, had more running. They’re tracking. We track everything nowadays, so we’re going to know if he’s been on his feet more.”

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    Day off for Bohm

    The day off for Bohm was preplanned to get Schwarber in the field, Mattingly said, and had nothing to do with his performance on Friday night. With the bases loaded and the Phillies trailing by one run in the ninth, Bohm grounded into a force out at home on the first pitch he saw. After the final out, Bohm was visibly frustrated in the Phillies dugout.

    “I trust Alec,” Mattingly said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk about him, and obviously today’s a day where we had a chance last night to do something. But he wasn’t the only guy that didn’t get a hit in the right spot.”

    Mattingly said he thinks Saturday could be a good opportunity for Bohm to get a day off, but going forward he is not considering scaling back Bohm’s playing time. Bohm is hitting .225 this season with a .642 OPS.

    Alec Bohm is hitting .225 this season with a .642 OPS. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “I don’t expect to go away from him,” Mattingly said. “He’s been really good around the bag. Over the course of the year, there’s been some ups and downs. There’s been some good sections and some sections that haven’t looked as good, but for the most part, he’s been a guy that’s driven in some big runs for us.

    “Reset is not a great word, I don’t think, for this situation. I think it’s more this was a normal day that we were going to do. But I do think the day’s not bad for him from the standpoint of bodywise, and just a day off in this stretch.”

    Extra bases

    Andrew Painter threw a bullpen session Saturday and remains on track to make his next scheduled start on Monday after exiting his previous outing with hamstring tightness. … Jesús Luzardo (10-5, 3.36 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale against Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber (3-2, 5.11).

  • Luis Arraez drives in two runs, brings ‘new blood’ energy in his Phillies debut

    Luis Arraez drives in two runs, brings ‘new blood’ energy in his Phillies debut

    Bryce Harper jogged out to right field. He faced the bleachers, removed his cap, raised both arms over his head, and bowed like a stage actor on Broadway, not a star athlete off Broad Street.

    Then, on the first pitch, he caught a flyball.

    Just like old times.

    And when we say old times, we’re talking about 2022 — April 16, 2022, to be exact. It took 1,571 days and 752 games, but Harper turned back into an outfielder Tuesday night, part of the Phillies’ Grand Experiment to squeeze another run from a core that keeps chasing an elusive championship.

    Low on prospect capital, loaded with needs, the Phillies’ best asset at the deadline turned out to be … Bryce Harper

    “There may be some bumps and bruises with this,” said interim manager Don Mattingly, referring not to Harper specifically but a creative (read: crazy?) plan to trade for contact-hitting savant Luis Arraez at the deadline while uprooting three-quarters of the infield. “But these guys are baseball players. They’re going to be fine.”

    So far, so good.

    Batting behind Harper in the cleanup spot, Arraez drove in two runs in his first two at-bats, and the out-of-position Phillies made every play to back an eight-inning gem from Jesús Luzardo in a 5-0 laugher over the Nationals.

    “I was excited,” Arraez said following the Phillies’ fourth straight victory after losing four in a row and eight of nine. “I was happy, especially when the fans gave me the ovation. That was beautiful.”

    New Phillie Luis Arraez reacts after hitting a double in the third inning against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Indeed, most of the 38,731 paying customers stood and cheered before Arraez banged an RBI single to center field in the first inning. In the third, he fouled off a bunt to spot the Nationals a strike, then got a piece of two two-strike pitches and capped an eight-pitch at-bat by slashing a double down the first-base line.

    Say this: Arraez arrived as advertised, a three-time batting champion who may be on his way to a fourth.

    “It’s kind of what he brings,” Mattingly said. “You see he’s not afraid to take a pitch, not afraid to get down in a count, that he’s not afraid to hit with a strike. He’s not a guy that really swings and misses much at all, so it’s like, you can tell the confidence he has.”

    But there was also this: Arraez, celebrating his hits with some combination of arm-waving, pointing to “Phillies” across his jersey, and pounding his chest. It’s a spark, especially for a group of position players that has been together for four years.

    OK, press pause: It was one game. But just as the firing of manager Rob Thomson amid a 9-19 start was like a defibrillator for a clubhouse that’s used to the extreme continuity of running back the guts of the roster, could the addition of Arraez — and position changes for Harper, Bryson Stott (second base to third), and Alec Bohm (third base to first) — bring a similar effect?

    “I think bringing [Arraez’s] energy in here will change it more than anything, just the energy aspect of that from him,” Harper said in a conversation at his locker before the game. “Any time you bring new blood into the clubhouse, it’s obviously a change. I don’t think changing of positions, for me personally — it might be different for Bryson or Bohmer — but I don’t think that’ll have too much effect on that.”

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    Sure. But consider what went on before the game. Arraez and shortstop Trea Turner worked on turning double plays, while Stott long-tossed to loosen his arm for longer throws. Infield coach Bobby Dickerson drilled Stott on cutoffs and relays from third base before working with Bohm on picks at first base.

    And there was Harper, making throws from right field.

    It was all new and uncertain, maybe even exciting. And as unorthodox as it is to move all these chess pieces around the board in August, could it also be a way to combat the onset of staleness over a long season for players who are as familiar with one another as the Phillies?

    “Yeah, no, it’s definitely different,” Harper said. “But if we’re just talking about like the energy effect, all that kind of stuff, I don’t think it’s going to be any different on that part. Obviously we’re all going to be the same and play the way we do.

    “But bringing a guy like Arraez that plays with the energy and the fire that he does, I think can help us. I think a lot of us are super grateful to play in a ballpark that we play in, with the fans that we do have. We don’t take that lightly. I think having a packed house every night and stuff really helps you play well, right?”

    Mattingly debated Arraez in the leadoff or cleanup spot. He settled on cleanup. Sure enough, Arraez delivered with runners on first and second in the first and third innings after Harper drew walks.

    “I’ve known him for a long time, and that’s what he does,” said Luzardo, who gave up four hits and two walks and threw 98 pitches in his longest start of the season. “He’s going to get his knocks, but just the energy he brings in the clubhouse, in the dugout, on the field, just kind of keeps it light.”

    And because the baseball gods have a sense of humor, the first four balls put in play by the Nationals all went to right field. Harper handled them all.

    After bowing to the fans, of course.

    “A lot of them remembered,” Harper said of his pregame ritual in his previous life as a Phillies right fielder. “That was pretty cool to see.”

    And so, the Grand Experiment began.

    It’ll be fascinating to watch it play out.

  • Low on prospect capital, loaded with needs, the Phillies’ best asset at the deadline turned out to be … Bryce Harper

    Low on prospect capital, loaded with needs, the Phillies’ best asset at the deadline turned out to be … Bryce Harper

    At 3:30 p.m. Monday, Bryce Harper stood on the grass in shallow center field and uncorked throws from as far as 120 feet to coach Paco Figueroa on the right-field foul line.

    With that, the Grand Experiment began.

    Make no mistake, that’s what this is. The Phillies made their big trade-deadline move for Luis Arraez, a three-time batting champion whom they deemed the most impactful hitter available even though his preferred position (second base) was occupied. They also added relievers Caleb Kilian and veteran lefty Brooks Raley.

    Dave Dombrowski’s no good, very bad year (tenure?) continues at the MLB trade deadline

    But they couldn’t line up on a package for any of the 13 — count ‘em, 13! — starting pitchers of note who got traded, leaving one of the Phillies’ chief needs unfilled.

    Were they unwilling to pay the prices for the one subset of an extreme seller’s market that featured abundant supply?

    Or were they unable?

    “Both,” Dave Dombrowski said after the 6 p.m. deadline passed. “In some cases, I’d say some clubs felt we were unable to match others, but not in many cases. The top of our farm system is very well-regarded. I think it’s a little deeper than what people think it is once you start talking to them. But others may not.”

    Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski (center) made two notable trades before Monday’s deadline.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    As a rival team official said, “Dave was in a really tough situation,” trying to find bullpen help, a right-handed bat, and a starter with “only three legitimate pieces” in the farm system. Dombrowski cashed in one of them — 20-year-old righty Ramon Marquez — for Arraez, a pending free agent.

    But the Phillies’ biggest asset turned out to be Harper’s unfulfilled desire to win a World Series.

    If Harper wouldn’t go back to right field, where he hasn’t played since April 2022, the Phillies couldn’t have set off the chain reaction of positional changes — Alec Bohm to first base, Bryson Stott to third — that opened up second base for Arraez.

    For years, Harper told everyone that he would make a temporary move to the outfield if it enabled the Phillies to add a hitter. They never came close to taking him up on it, even as Dombrowski went on a four-year search for outfield bats that turned up Austin Hays, Max Kepler, Harrison Bader, and Adolis García.

    “I know everybody thinks it’s crap when I say it,” Harper said Monday. “But it’s not.”

    Phillies insist they’re ‘not scared of anyone’ after Dodgers make big move for Tarik Skubal

    Just in case, Harper stuffed an outfielder’s glove in his travel bag for the road trip last week. Then, at Dombrowski’s request, Don Mattingly struck up a conversation before a game. It went like this:

    “Hey, are you serious?” Mattingly said.

    “Yeah,” Harper said.

    And that was it.

    “I think him being willing to do that — and being serious about it — was the key to being able to open your mind to different things,“ Mattingly said. ”It could get away from an outfielder and open your mind to different guys.”

    Luis Arraez, acquired Monday by the Phillies at the trade deadline, is a three-time batting champion.Gregory Bull

    The clincher, though, came Sunday night. Dombrowski was “pretty far along” in talks with the Giants about Arraez when he got a text from Harper.

    “He said, ‘If there’s any truth to the rumors that you’re getting Arraez, I’d be happy to move to the outfield to add him to the ballclub,’“ Dombrowski said. “His volunteering it opened up the door for us to go ahead.“

    Never mind, then, that the Phillies began the week last in the majors in on-base percentage (.280) and OPS (.644) from the right side of the plate. In their estimation, lefty-swinging Arraez will improve the lineup more than righty-hitting outfielders Jo Adell and Taylor Ward.

    They’re probably correct. Arraez is a modern Rod Carew. What he lacks in power (career-high 10 home runs in 2023), he makes up for in contact skills. To put his 21 strikeouts this season into context, 102 players struck out as many times … in July alone.

    It’s clear what the Phillies need at the trade deadline. Do they have the prospect capital to get it?

    But Harper, Stott, Trea Turner, and Bohm — from first base to third — have comprised the infield for four years, including Monday night in the 113th game of the season. Now, the only one who will stay put is Turner, the worst defender of the group.

    It’s a lot of chess pieces to move around on Aug. 4.

    Mattingly, a nine-time Gold Glove first baseman, was asked if he’s ever seen anything like it.

    “I can’t say that I have,” he said. “Not that I remember. No, not really.”

    And Dombrowski, who has led front offices for nearly 40 years and been in the game even longer?

    “Probably not positional player-wise,” he said.

    Bryce Harper is expected to return to first base after this season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies are among the worst defensive teams in the majors. Dombrowski thinks they could be better in the new alignment. Can they get worse?

    Harper, in particular, but also Stott are expected to return to their regular positions after the season. Until then, it’s a gambit.

    “I think sometimes you have to take a little bit of an adventurous look at your club when you look at moving positions around,” Dombrowski said. “We think it will work for us.”

    But they’re asking Harper and Stott to condition their arms to make longer throws. And it’s not like they have spring training. They’re expected to be at their adopted positions Tuesday, when Arraez joins the team.

    “Obviously I’m going to need to get my arm going a little bit more,” Harper said. “Long toss, arm care, all that stuff. … I would say that and maybe a little bit of the legs as well. But at 33 right now, it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. I feel healthy. I feel strong.

    What makes Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber such unique stars? We asked each about the other.

    “I’m at a spot in my career where I don’t have to do that, right? Like I don’t have to go and play a different position. I’m very comfortable at first base. I love first base. I love being on the infield, you know? It’s something I’m doing just for the team. That’s how I feel about that.

    “But I want to win. You guys know that I want to win more than anybody. So, go out there hopefully it helps.”

    It won’t fill the fifth-starter spot, get any outs in the eighth inning, or boost the production from the right side of the plate. But at the trade deadline, Harper’s championship thirst was the best thing the Phillies had going for them.

  • Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    Luis Arraez is neither an outfielder nor a right-handed hitter. But he is the Phillies’ solution for scoring more runs.

    Even though it puts Bryce Harper back in right field.

    Welcome to the Phillies’ brave new world.

    Amid an underwhelming market for righty-swinging outfielders, Dave Dombrowski made a trade-deadline splash Monday, acquiring Arraez — a lefty-hitting second baseman — and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for two minor leaguers, including breakout pitching prospect Ramon Marquez — and in the process, uprooting three-quarters of the infield and transplanting Harper to the outfield for the first time since April 2022.

    Phillies insist they’re ‘not scared of anyone’ after Dodgers make big move for Tarik Skubal

    Then, in an almost concurrent trade, the Phillies picked up veteran lefty reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets for minor-league outfielder John Spikerman and right-hander Luke Gabrysh.

    “Obviously,” Harper said, “it’s been a good deadline. I think [Dombrowski]’s done a great job.”

    Harper said he didn’t know the Phillies were talking to the Giants about Arraez when he texted Dombrowski on Sunday night, after a conversation over the weekend in Baltimore with manager Don Mattingly. In both cases, he reiterated what he has said for years: For another productive hitter who played in the infield, he would make a short-term move back to right field.

    With Harper clearing the way, the Phillies pivoted to Arraez, a contact-hitting savant and three-time batting champion with a bead on a fourth. He’s leading the National League with a .324 average and has struck out only 21 times in 464 plate appearances.

    In short, he’s like almost no other modern hitter.

    Luis Arraez has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21).
    Gregory Bull

    “He’s kind of like the modern day like Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs,” said Mattingly, who played with both. “The guy just hits. He’s always hit, [won] batting titles, and just continues to do it. Obviously a huge addition to the lineup.”

    But in pivoting to a hitter whom they believe will have a bigger impact than any of the righty-hitting outfielders they were scouting, the Phillies threw into flux an infield that already ranks among the worst defensive groups in the majors.

    Arraez wants to stay at second base, where he improved defensively this season under Giants infield coach Ron Washington. Mattingly said the Phillies “wouldn’t have made the trade if we weren’t going to put him at second,” but really, they had little choice. The out-of-contention Giants assured Arraez they would only trade him to a team that would use him there.

    Effective Tuesday night, then, when Arraez joins the Phillies, second baseman Bryson Stott will move to third base, third baseman Alec Bohm will go to first, and yes, Harper will shift back to the grass.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    “The key for me is Harp,” Mattingly said. “Harp moving to the outfield is really the key to this.”

    Said Harper: “I’ve said it in years past — I mean, I know everybody thinks it’s crap when I say it, but it’s not. Any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I’d do anything for this organization. And they know that.”

    In the weeks leading up to the deadline, the Phillies focused on three areas: a right-handed bat, a late-inning reliever, and a starting pitcher. With so many needs and few assets in the farm system, it seemed like a challenge for Dombrowski to get everything.

    As a team, the Phillies entered the week tied for 28th in the majors in on-base percentage (.304). In particular, they have gotten less production than any team from the right side of the plate, with a worst-in-the-majors .280 on-base percentage and .644 OPS.

    But neither Mike Trout nor Byron Buxton has signaled a willingness to waive their no-trade rights. (In Buxton’s case, the Twins are a playoff contender in the American League.) The Reds’ Spencer Steer injured his wrist and may miss the rest of the season; the Royals traded Lane Thomas to the Braves; the Angels’ Jo Adell has a .279 career on-base percentage; and the Orioles were noncommittal on trading Taylor Ward.

    (Adell and Ward were ultimately dealt to the Guardians and Mariners, respectively, Monday.)

    Given the state of the market, the Phillies felt they needed to get creative. So, they widened their search over the weekend, according to major league sources, and landed on Arraez, who has a .360 on-base percentage and figures to help set the table for Kyle Schwarber and Harper.

    “He’s a guy that won the batting title a couple of years and somebody that’s going to put the bat on the ball,” Harper said. “Exciting player, you know? I think he just brings a lot to our lineup. He’s got that hit tool, and it’s somebody that can be really good for us.”

    The Phillies also acquired Kilian, a 29-year-old righty, to add depth to the middle of the bullpen. He has a 4.26 ERA in 46 games this season, but hasn’t allowed a run in eight of his last 11 appearances.

    The move comes at a cost for a farm system that was already ranked among the worst in baseball.

    Marquez, a hard-throwing 20-year-old right-hander, has emerged this season, prompting debate among scouts about whether he or 2025 first-round pick Gage Wood was the best pitching prospect in the system. Scouts are impressed by Marquez’s changeup and an uptick in his fastball velocity. He has a 1.50 ERA in six starts since moving up to high-A Jersey Shore.

    Marty Gair, a 23-year-old, was recently promoted to Jersey Shore. He has a 4.50 ERA and six saves in 30 appearances overall this season.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    Raley is shaping up as an important addition, especially given the powerhouse Dodgers’ lefty-heavy lineup. In 41⅓ innings with the Mets, the 38-year-old veteran had a 1.96 ERA. A pending free agent, he will join José Alvarado as the lefty weapons to combat Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Kyle Tucker in the middle and late innings.

    “I see him more towards the back end,” Mattingly said. “Obviously we’ve got Alvy, who’s throwing the ball really good. But we’ll take all the arms we can get out there.”

  • Bryce Harper took the wrong approach. But that’s not saying he wasn’t completely right.

    Bryce Harper took the wrong approach. But that’s not saying he wasn’t completely right.

    Bryce Harper was right to be frustrated.

    He had the right diagnosis. He had the right prescription. He had the right motivation.

    He took the wrong approach.

    The first four of those things are the only ones that should matter to anybody invested in the Phillies’ approach to this year’s MLB trade deadline. That goes for the fan base and the members of the media, both social and mass.

    To the bloggers, the Twitterers and the TikTokers, the radio gabbers, the ink-stained goobers still typing with two hands, and to anybody else who has spent the last couple of days displacing their aggression upon a guy who desperately wants to win and has served honorably on the mission … let’s all heed the words of QB1 and “keep the main thing the main thing.”

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    The main thing is this: Harper is right.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper told reporters earlier this week. “But you know, I think we’ve proved pretty much all year we’ve done a pretty good job. But anytime you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps.”

    The Phillies need all the help they can find. Rarely does a World Series contender arrive at August with this many holes. Dave Dombrowski will be doing his roster a massive disservice if he operates in triage mode. Starting pitching? Relief pitching? One outfielder? Two? Yes and yes and yes and yes. If the Phillies want to escape the slippery slope they are currently sliding down, they can’t afford to treat the deadline as an either-or proposition.

    “I think both,” Harper said when asked whether the Phillies need an arm or a bat. “Obviously, everybody knows what we need …”

    Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber has been one of baseball’s best power hitters. But the question is, how long can he sustain this?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Is it unrealistic to think that the Phillies can acquire everything they need over the next three days? Maybe. But they darn sure need to try. Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler — all are at points of their career where they may never be as good again as they are right now.

    Factor in Jesús Luzardo and Jhoan Duran and Cristopher Sánchez and the Phillies almost certainly will never have another season with this much individual dominance among their stars. That group alone is enough to give the Phillies a near-even chance in practically any playoff series. But they need to get there, and they need to do it with enough depth to win three or four series in a row.

    Brandon Marsh learned a lot clawing out of his last slump. He’s relying on those lessons to get right again.

    Unrealistic? Maybe not when considering how low the bar for improvement is. The Phillies entered Thursday with the lowest on-base percentage in the majors. There’s no mystery why they seem to struggle to score runs. The fewer men a team puts on base, the fewer of them can score.

    Harper sees it. Think about your frustration level when watching it on TV. Now think about how you’d feel if you were watching it from the dugout, or the on-deck circle, or while standing on second base.

    Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (right) has been a consistent threat but is in the throes of a slump.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The five most discouraging words in the human language are, “Now batting fifth, Edmundo Sosa.” The seven most discouraging words: “Now batting sixth, Bryan De La Cruz.” The Phillies lineup right now is Harper and Schwarber and a bunch of replacement-level players.

    That’s almost literally true, by the way.

    Besides Schwarber and Harper, the only two regulars with a positive offensive WAR are Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh. The Phillies entered Thursday with MLB’s fourth-worst aggregate WAR among position players. That’s especially damning when you consider how good Harper and Schwarber have been. The only teams worse are the Mets, Rockies, and Reds. Just ahead of them are the Blue Jays and Angels. All will be selling off their rosters over the next few days.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    The Phillies shouldn’t need to bankrupt their system to bring in a line change at the trade deadline. Four years ago, they acquired Marsh, David Robertson, Noah Syndergaard, and Sosa midseason. Two years ago, they landed Austin Hays, Carlos Estevez, and Tanner Banks. Last year, they traded for Duran and Harrison Bader and also signed Robertson. Quantity is rarely an issue.

    Rarely has it been so sorely needed.

    The trade deadline’s dirty little secret is that it doesn’t matter nearly as much as everybody dreams it does. Baseball is too fluky a sport to expect two months of game-changing impact simply because you paid a high price. I would venture to guess that Dombrowski’s results haven’t been better or worse than the average GM.

    Former Phillies prospect Hao-Yu Lee, who was traded to Detroit for Michael Lorenzen is hitting is hitting .307 in his last 51 games for the Tigers.David Banks

    He won the Marsh deal, marginally lost the Hays deal, and more or less got what he paid for in aggregate. One exception could be the 2023 trade for starter Michael Lorenzen. Prospect Hao-Yu Lee is hitting .307 with an .817 OPS in his last 51 games for the Tigers. He bats right-handed, by the way.

    The overarching point here is the process. The smoke signals are at least promising. The Phillies scouted Mets righty Clay Holmes’ rehab outing earlier this week. He’s a guy who would make a ton of sense, both as a rotation stabilizer in the present and as a potential postseason swingman in the future.

    A report from the New York Post had the Phillies interested in Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho. The son of former Phillie Gary Varsho, he had five extra-base hits in the Blue Jays’ American League Division Series win over the Yankees last October. He’s left-handed, but, again, the Phillies need help everywhere. Plus, he can play center field.

    Toronto Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho (center), son of former Phillies outfielder Gary Varsho, is a player some say the Phillies are looking at.Nathan Denette

    The broader point about Holmes and Varsho is they are the guys the Phillies should be targeting. Each is a couple months way from free agency. Dombrowski and John Middleton both have a history of taking big swings on players with years of club control beyond the present season. Duran and Marsh both fit that profile.

    Before them: Hunter Pence, Cliff Lee, etc. The Phillies’ needs are broad enough that they can’t afford to pay a premium price for any single player. Rentals sure look like the way to go for a team in their situation. Add the Orioles’ Taylor Ward to the list.

    As for Harper? From at least one perspective, the debate about his comments is much ado about nothing. There’s nothing less consequential than a player’s relationship with his front office.

    From another perspective, Harper would be wise to reconsider his approach. Nothing that he says is going to change a thing about how the Phillies operate at the deadline. It’s far more likely that his outspokenness ramps up the pressure on the guys whom he has implicitly deemed to be not good enough.

    The issue is not so much clubhouse chemistry as it is individual psyche and its impact on performance. Sure, some guys need a kick in the butt. But many others need a comfort zone. Whatever Harper’s evaluation of the talent around him, however accurate it is, the Phillies are likely going to need at least one or two of them to perform to win a World Series.

    Next time, he’d be better off keeping his honesty off the record and taking comfort in the fact that the rest of us already know exactly what the Phillies need to do.

  • The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    Help!

    I need somebody …

    Help!

    … not just anybody …

    Help!

    … you know I need someone …

    Helllllllllllllp!

    Nine losses in 12 games over a span of 14 days will have an effect on people, especially when the trade deadline is bearing down.

    It caused Bryce Harper to channel John Lennon.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper told reporters in Miami — and that was before the Phillies gagged a 6-0 lead into an 8-6 loss Wednesday, the worst gut punch at the worst time.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    OK, before we continue: Harper isn’t wrong.

    Everyone can see that the Phillies need, at minimum, a right-handed hitter, a late-inning reliever, and another starting pitcher. The front office is aware; 29 other teams know it, too.

    Some of it is the consequence of bad luck. The Phillies’ most expensive offseason additions — right fielder Adolis García and reliever Brad Keller — went down with season-ending injuries. Mostly, though, it’s an indictment of Dave Dombrowski’s Jenga-tower roster that a team with a $317 million luxury-tax payroll has so many holes.

    And, well, take it away, Bryce.

    “I think we’ve proved pretty much all year, we’ve done a pretty good job, but any time you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps,” he said. “… I think obviously everybody knows what we need. We need both [hitting and pitching].”

    Bryce Harper (left) and Brandon Marsh have struggled at the plate since representing the Phillies in the All-Star Game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Harper shared that opinion during All-Star week and reiterated it to MLB.com and The Athletic a few days ago. But because his latest comments were on camera, and because the deadline is Monday, his words were amplified.

    So, can the Phillies get everything they need?

    “I don’t know,” Harper said. “We’ll see. I mean, that’s a Dave question.”

    As in Dombrowski, who irritated Harper after last season by wondering if he was still elite. They talked it out in spring training, and as owner John Middleton said, “I’m confident that everything’s behind us now.” Clearly it isn’t. As long as Harper hits and Dombrowski builds a contending roster, they will co-exist. But Harper’s cry for help, five days before the deadline, likely annoyed the front office.

    In reality, there’s only so much help available on the trade market, with right-handed bats especially scarce.

    Entering play Wednesday, 22 teams were no worse than 3½ games out of a wild-card spot. Within that extreme seller’s market, neither Mike Trout nor Byron Buxton is willing to waive no-trade rights. Buxton (hip) went on the injured list Wednesday, and two more available right-handed bats — Spencer Steer of the Reds and the Giants’ Casey Schmitt — suffered major injuries this week.

    Last weekend, the Red Sox dealt Connelly Early, a 24-year-old lefty with six quality pitches and five years of club control, for infielder Curtis Mead, who was having a breakout season for the Nationals after getting designated for assignment in March. And even before Mead broke his wrist in his first game, rival scouts agreed that Boston overpaid to gain access to a right-handed hitter.

    It’s clear what the Phillies need at the trade deadline. Do they have the prospect capital to get it?

    There’s a larger supply of available starting pitching. The Phillies scouted Giants lefty Robbie Ray last weekend and Mets righty Clay Holmes’ two injury rehab starts in the minors. They reportedly sent scouts to observe the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman, the Nationals’ Foster Griffin, the Mets’ Freddy Peralta, and others.

    But the Phillies really need offense. They’re tied for last in the majors in on-base percentage (.303), including a worst-in-the-majors .279 mark and .639 OPS from their right-handed hitters.

    And even if there was a high-impact bat available, the industry consensus is that they lack upper-level talent in the farm system to anchor such a swap.

    In that case, no matter what Dombrowski does before 6 p.m. Monday, Harper’s plea for help must extend to his teammates, too. Because although he’s right about the need for reinforcements, it’s really the stars — three hitters, in particular — that must shine brighter.

    Phillies shortstop Trea Turner has made seven errors since the All-Star break.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Trea Turner

    After winning the batting title and finishing fifth in the National League MVP race last season, Turner is playing at less than replacement level, according to Baseball-Reference’s WAR calculation.

    Turner’s value is dragged down by his defense. He has seven errors since the All-Star break and leads the majors with 19, a striking regression from the best defensive season of his career last year.

    Lately, the Phillies hold their breath on every grounder to shortstop.

    Help!

    “He’s just in a place where he’s searching, and he’s too internal with his thought process,” infield coach Bobby Dickerson said this week on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “The ball’s put in play, and he’s thinking more about what to do with his body than engaging with the ball. … You can see he’s a step late, not as aggressive, not as decisive.

    “Right now he’s in a bad place. And it puts us all in a bad place, really. We just need to get him back to what he can do, and it’s my responsibility to get it done.”

    What if the Phillies’ most impactful addition was a resurgent Trea Turner? He’s working to make it happen.

    Not coincidentally, Turner’s problems in the field have come in the midst of his career-worst season at the plate.

    Through June 15, he was batting .216 with a .268 on-base percentage and a .595 OPS. The last six weeks have been better. In his last 35 games, Turner is batting .296 (43-for-145) and slugging .524 with eight homers.

    A midseason position change isn’t under consideration. So, as the Phillies try to fix Turner’s defense, they need at least a high level of production at the plate.

    Turner, as intelligent and self-aware as any player, often overthinks his struggles. Dickerson wants him to “be an artist instead of a scientist.”

    “He wants answers scientifically a lot of times,” Dickerson said. “The more scientific he is, the more he locks himself up. … We had his confidence flying high last year. He felt real confident. Now, he’s almost anticipating, don’t mess up. We’ve got to get it right.”

    Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh has struggled since starting the All-Star Game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Brandon Marsh

    It took only 19 days for the Phillies to climb from the 9-19 start that got Rob Thomson fired to the .500 mark.

    Marsh batted .381 during that stretch.

    Kyle Schwarber hit 32 homers before the All-Star break, and yes, Harper was elite. But there wasn’t a more consistent Phillies hitter than Marsh, who played himself not only into the lineup against lefties but also into the cleanup spot for Don Mattingly.

    But Marsh is 5-for-43 with one homer since the break. He stopped hitting lefties, too, and was on the bench last week against the Dodgers’ Eric Lauer and the Yankees’ Ryan Weathers, hardly Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal.

    Help!

    All-Star outfielder Brandon Marsh relegated to platoon role (for now) as the Phillies seek more production against lefty pitching

    “I was talking to some guys around the All-Star Week, and I was like, ‘Would you rather be an All-Star or win a World Series?’ And the answer is easy. You’d rather win a World Series,” said Marsh, 4-for-30 against lefties since June 25. “… If that means having to take a step back and be more of a role player, then that’s what I’m going to be.”

    Actually, the Phillies need Marsh to be a costar again.

    Because Dombrowski could trade for, say, Lane Thomas from the Royals to split time with Marsh as part of a triple-platoon in the outfield. But it would be easier if the Phillies could count on Marsh every day and add lefty-hitting Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays or Jake McCarthy from the Rockies, or righty-swinging Jo Adell from the Angels or Taylor Ward, if the Orioles sell.

    “I do believe that [Marsh] is going to be a guy that can be an everyday guy,” Mattingly said. “Something we talked about is understanding how to hit lefties and what you need to do. Understanding ball movement, what do you want to hit, where does [the swing] have to start. He’s a guy that, honestly, at the big league level has really not had the opportunity to continue to do that.

    “But at some point, we’re trying to win games. We need to be better against lefties.”

    Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper is 8-for-43 (.186) with 16 strikeouts since the All-Star break.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Harper

    Help me if you can, I’m feeling down …

    … and I do appreciate you being ’round

    Help me get my feet back on the ground

    Won’t you please, please, help me?

    Harper’s candor is refreshing. He speaks his mind, even when it ruffles feathers.

    “I mean, Dave’s been doing this a while,” Mattingly told reporters Wednesday. “He’s never really backed away from trying to get guys. We’re going to try to get better at the deadline.”

    What makes Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber such unique stars? We asked each about the other.

    Asked if he was bothered by Harper’s comments, Mattingly, whose son, Preston, works under Dombrowski as general manager, said he only was concerned with what they implied.

    “If you say something about our team,” Mattingly said, “then you’re saying something about one of our players that you don’t like.”

    “Bryce is Bryce,” Mattingly continued. “He’s going to say what he wants. I’m not really concerned about it. I take it kind of with a grain of salt, knowing how players are over the years.”

    But Harper also isn’t satisfied with how he has swung the bat lately. He’s 8-for-43 (.186) with 16 strikeouts since the break, even after homering in the first inning Monday and tripling home a run in the fifth inning Wednesday.

    As Harper likes to say: “Not enough.”

    The Phillies need more, even if help is on the way.

  • Don Mattingly on Bryce Harper’s belief the Phillies need ‘help’ at deadline: ‘Players like being GMs’

    Don Mattingly on Bryce Harper’s belief the Phillies need ‘help’ at deadline: ‘Players like being GMs’

    MIAMI — Less than an hour after the Phillies suffered their fourth consecutive series loss after the All-Star break, Bryce Harper threw down the proverbial gauntlet.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper said. “I think we’ve proved pretty much all year, we’ve done a pretty good job, but anytime you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps.”

    With the trade deadline approaching at 6 p.m. on Monday, Harper said he thinks the Phillies need upgrades in the pitching staff and the lineup. It was a clear message to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the front office.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    It’s a message that interim manager Don Mattingly doesn’t necessarily like. Mattingly, whose son Preston works under Dombrowski as the Phillies’ general manager, said he doesn’t think the rest of the team is focused on the upcoming deadline.

    “I sense Bryce thinking about it, I don’t really sense anybody else thinking about it, honestly,” Mattingly said. “And you’ve been through this. Guys want to be GMs. What you need, without a real understanding of where the organization is, exactly where this thing goes, not only this year, but moving forward. So again, players like being GMs and making calls and spending other people’s money, so just let it go at that.

    “I mean, they’ve been doing this a while. Never really backed away trying to get guys. We’re trying to get better. We’re going to try to get better at the deadline.”

    Bryce Harper was batting .165 with 28 strikeouts in 79 at-bats in July going into Wednesday’s game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    As manager, Mattingly’s focus is on getting improvements out of the players who are on the 26-man roster until the point that additions or subtractions are made.

    And despite the Phillies’ recent struggles — they entered Wednesday’s series finale in Miami with a 3-8 record since the All-Star break — he believes those improvements will come.

    “How do I feel right now about how we’re playing, that hasn’t been great,” Mattingly said. “I feel good about our team. I felt that way the whole time. … Obviously, we’re in a period of time that we haven’t played great since the break.”

    Two players who could help the Phillies address their biggest trade deadline need

    He added that he wasn’t necessarily bothered by Harper’s comments, but he didn’t like that they could be construed as criticism of the players currently on the team.

    “I think you’re always trying to get better. You should always incrementally try to get better, no matter who you are,” Mattingly said. “If you’re the Dodgers, who won two straight [World Series], they’re trying to get better in different ways. We’re in the same boat, right? You’re always trying to get better, but if you say something about our team, then you’re saying something about one of our players that you don’t like.”

    Mattingly said he doesn’t feel the need to discuss this with Harper, though.

    “I mean, Bryce is going to say what he wants, so I’m not really concerned about it,” he said. “I take it kind of with a grain of salt, and knowing how players are over the years. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this. … I always look at it internally. I got to get better. We got to get better, and it’s as simple as that.”

    Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was out of the lineup again on Wednesday due to an illness.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Schwarber out again

    Kyle Schwarber was out of the Phillies lineup Wednesday for the second consecutive game with a gastrointestinal illness. Mattingly said he wasn’t sure if Schwarber would improve enough to be available off the bench in an emergency situation.

    “[He’s] kind of the same. Yeah. He may be a little better, but obviously not in there,” Mattingly said.

    Schwarber missed three games in May with a similar issue. In his absence on Wednesday, Trea Turner got the start at designated hitter. Edmundo Sosa took over at shortstop against Marlins right-handed starter Ryan Gusto.

    Andrew Painter had a solid week in triple A. Is he an option to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation soon?

    Mattingly said giving Turner a day to reset from his defensive struggles this season — in the series opener, he committed his 19th error of the season and seventh since the All-Star break at shortstop — was not a factor in his decision. Instead, he wanted to get Turner a day off the turf at loanDepot Park, after previously giving Harper a day at designated hitter on Tuesday.

    “More just getting him off his feet,” Mattingly said. “Kind of feel like we’re getting him back to the point where his legs are good and all that, so try to keep it there.”

    Derek Hill, who has not appeared in a game since July 25 with “lower body stuff,” according to Mattingly, has improved, but the Phillies manager was unsure if he would be available off the bench Wednesday.

    Extra bases

    The Phillies announced that reliever Brad Keller underwent successful surgery on his right elbow in Texas on Wednesday. Keller is expected to return to pitch in 13-16 months. … Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz got another start against a right-hander on Wednesday after a two-hit night on Tuesday.. … The Phillies have not yet announced who is set to open Friday’s series opener against Baltimore, which is expected to be a bullpen game. Right-hander Brandon Young (8-2, 3.13 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Orioles.