Bryce Harper's debut at first base ‘coming pretty quick'

Rob Thomson still doesn't want to put a timeline on Bryce Harper's debut at first base, but it will come soon for a Phillies team that has nine games left before the All-Star break.

The Phils have been saying since late April that Harper would not play first base until after the break, but he went through a full infield practice this week in Chicago that stood out to the Phillies' skipper.

"It was really good, I mean really good," Thomson said. "I don't want to put a timeline on it, I really don't, because part of it is him being comfortable, too. But it's coming pretty quick."

Harper is highly unlikely to return to right field in 2023, his first season back from Tommy John surgery. It's something he's not even thinking about. For about two months, he has been working out at first base, a position he's never played before at any level. It's an important way for the Phillies to add flexibility to their lineup and improve their outfield defense. Kyle Schwarber has been worth negative-13 Outs Above Average, the worst mark for any defender at any position in all of baseball this season.

When Harper is ready to transition from designated hitter to first base, it will allow Schwarber to DH, and the Phillies could play Cristian Pache in left field, which would be a substantial improvement. They could start Pache against lefties and perhaps recall Jake Cave from Triple A to start in left field against righties. Cave has gone crazy at Triple A since being optioned at the beginning of May, hitting .368/.447/.708 with 27 doubles, 12 homers and 43 RBI in 45 games.

The Phillies cannot send Harper out on a rehab assignment to get ready to play first base because he's healthy. He'll have to learn on the job. Thomson cautioned there will be some growing pains.

"I think everybody has to understand too that the speed of the game is different than just taking groundballs," he said. "There are a whole bunch of situations that come that he's going to have to work through and learn from mistakes. They're going to happen, trust me, that's just natural."

Dominguez out until the break

Seranthony Dominguez is unlikely to return until after the All-Star break. The right-handed reliever is dealing with an oblique strain. Friday was the 15th day of his IL stint so he was eligible to be activated but isn't ready yet. The Phillies had initially said Dominguez might only miss the minimum time, but that always seemed curious with oblique injuries typically costing players at least a month.

Dominguez worked out in the bullpen Friday and threw out to 120 feet.

He will likely need a rehab assignment before he's activated.

"Probably just let it go until after the break," Thomson said. "He hasn't gotten up on the mound yet. I would think he'll need to see some hitters before he gets into a game."

Painter update

Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter threw an up-down bullpen session Friday, meaning he simulated ending one inning and beginning another. He threw between 30 to 40 pitches.

"Went really well," Thomson said. "I think we're going to do another one of those before we move on."

The next step for Painter after that would be facing hitters in a live batting practice session.

Song to pitch Saturday

Rule 5 draft pick Noah Song will make another relief appearance Saturday with Single A Clearwater. He began his rehab assignment Wednesday night with a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout on 12 pitches.

Song has been recovering from a lower back injury suffered in early March, shortly after his surprising arrival at Phillies camp.

Prior to being plucked away from the Red Sox organization by the Phillies, Song's only pro experience was pitching 17 innings at Single A in 2019.

Following the 2019 season, Song began his commitment to the Navy, where he served as a naval flight officer until early in 2023 when he had his status changed to selected reserves.

The change in Song's status was unexpected. He had put in the request eight months earlier but wasn't sure if it would take months, years, or not happen at all. Two months before arriving in Clearwater, he was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft by Boston and was selected by Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was leading the Red Sox front office when they drafted Song in the fourth round in 2019.

It was a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for the Phils. If it doesn't work out, it will cost them $25,000. When a team selects a player in the Rule 5 draft, it pays the original team $50,000 and must keep the player on its active roster for the entirety of the next season or offer him back for half price.

Because of the injury, Song has remained in the Phillies' organization despite not being on the active roster.