Bryce Harper faces Suarez in live session, talks sliding and playing first base originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CHICAGO -- Two Phillies rehabbing injured elbows took another step Tuesday prior to the team's doubleheader against the White Sox.
Ranger Suarez threw a 25-pitch live batting practice session at Guaranteed Rate Field 90 minutes before first pitch.
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Bryce Harper was in the box for about a dozen of them, his first live look at a lefty during his rehab.
Harper faced right-hander Nick Nelson (hamstring) last week in Philadelphia and will continue to see live reps once the Phillies return after the White Sox series. They'll also begin incorporating the pitch timer into those live ABs.
The session Tuesday was a mixture of live BP and a simulated game as Harper and Cristian Pache left the batter's box after putting the ball in play. Harper hit a ball hard to the warning track that was run down by reliever Craig Kimbrel, who was shagging balls in center field. He hit another on the ground between first and second base.
"Felt good, second at-bats really," Harper said. "My body's recovering the right way. I worked insanely hard this offseason to make sure everything was clicking -- diet, the way I went about it, weight room stuff. Everything I can do to force the issue of me playing quicker than I was supposed to, I've done that.
"I've still got a ways to go and still have to check some more boxes before we get where we need to be."
After facing Suarez, Harper quickly went back to the clubhouse to regroup before taking drills at first base for 15 minutes. Infield coach Bobby Dickerson hit him grounders and short-hops while third base coach Dusty Wathan caught Harper's underhand tosses.
At one point, Dickerson hit Harper a sharp liner that took a short hop into his glove, a nice play but one that caused Harper to leave his feet. He didn't dive fully for the ball but used his forearms to brace for the impact of the ground. He got back up right away and continued.
It was an interesting play given that as of last week, Harper hadn't yet been cleared to slide and the Phillies had talked about the potential damage he could do to his right elbow if he slid the wrong way.
He's not full-go yet, but Harper has been cleared for sliding.
"I'm cleared to slide right now, practice sliding," he said. "I've been sliding into first base so it's pretty similar to me doing that, same impact, sliding into second feet-first."
When the Phillies first brought up the risk of sliding headfirst, many fans asked, Well, what about just not sliding headfirst? Why not tell him to avoid sliding altogether?
It's not quite that simple.
"If I slide feet-first and I hit my right arm on the ground, it's the same thing," he said. "I could sprain my arm and be out for five, six, seven months. So no reason to rush that. I need to be smart in what I do and I'm not going to rush anything I do out there because it does nothing for our team and our organization if I come back the fastest and not the smartest."
Harper was initially going to return as the designated hitter and fill that role until the end of 2023, but a need has arisen at first base with Rhys Hoskins out for the regular season with a torn ACL and Darick Hall out about two months after thumb surgery.
The Phillies plan to play Harper at first base this summer, but he won't play the position until he has been cleared to throw and dive. More will be known after his next follow-up appointment in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed his Tommy John surgery the day before Thanksgiving. The Phillies are in L.A. to face the Dodgers May 1-3, which would seem to be a logical time to meet with ElAttrache.
"I won't be cleared to play any position until I can really throw and do it the right way," Harper said. "I don't want to get out there unless I can do that. I don't want to get out there and not play to my ability."
Harper has never played first base before, but he had never played the outfield prior to the Nationals drafting him and moving him there.
"I grew up playing third and catching," he said. "I never played outfield, they threw me out there, which I understood. It feels great to get the dirt under my cleats again."
Harper continues to work out and hit like a maniac. His workout Tuesday was rigorous. June seems more realistic than May, though the Phillies did not place him on the 60-day injured list out of spring training to leave themselves flexibility in case he can return before Memorial Day. Harper has not offered any sort of timetable and won't, but he also didn't rule May out when asked Tuesday.
"Don't know," he said. "I'm going to keep pushing the envelope and just do everything I can to get ready. I've only faced live pitching two times. I still just need to get back into the grind of things and understand that BP's BP and it's totally different than the game. Anybody can hit at 5 o'clock, it's kind of what are you doing for me at 7?"
