Bryce Harper out of Phillies lineup with hand soreness, Zack Wheeler doubtful for Sunday – NBC Sports Philadelphia

At that point, in the top of the first inning Tuesday night to be precise, the play seemed pretty routine. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a grounder to the right side of the infield. The ball bounced off the glove of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, who scooped it up and threw out the runner.

Harper, who was scheduled to start Tuesday’s All-Star Game, shook his teammate’s hand for a few moments after the game, a sign the ball might have hit someone. “The hand is fine,” manager Rob Thomson said after the game, dismissing the question.

Or not.

The Phillies’ roster for Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park was released with an unusual delay. That’s because Harper was still in the batting cage, testing his bruised and sore hand.

In the end, he was not a starter. Alec Bohm moved from third to first and Edmundo Sosa took his place.

It was just one of three injury updates Wednesday afternoon that were more annoying in the short term than worrisome in the long term.

All-star right-hander Zack Wheeler, who left Tuesday night’s game after five dominant innings with left lower back soreness, remains questionable for his scheduled start Sunday against the Athletics. Center fielder Johan Rojas, who was hit in the hand by a pitch, was also out of the lineup. Thomson downplayed the severity of both injuries after the game.

The presence of Harper and Rojas was presented as strictly preventive.

“Anytime I get a hand injury or a foot injury, I’m wary because it changes my swing a little bit. If it was a playoff game or something, (Rojas) would be able to play,” the manager said. “Harp, we just want to make sure he can hit effectively.”

Wheeler had an MRI Wednesday that showed no structural damage, but he was still sore. “We’re going to be very cautious with him,” Thomson said, a change from the day before when he said he “assumed” the 34-year-old would be healthy.

Asked directly what the benefit would be in having Wheeler work Sunday, since skipping that start and the All-Star break would give him at least 10 days to recover, Thomson said it would simply be to have one of the best pitchers in baseball on the mound.

But, he added: “We’re not going to risk anything. And it just happens, really, on the perfect day. The day before the break. That way you can get every guy in your pen in the game and they don’t have five days off when they come back from the break.”

It had been previously announced that Wheeler, like all All-Star starting pitchers whose turn was Sunday, would not appear in the game.

MORE GENERAL HOSPITAL

Right-hander Taijuan Walker threw a bullpen Wednesday afternoon. “He looked good to me. His split looked good,” Thomson said. “I’m not sure about his velocity, but Saturday he’ll either throw another bullpen or a BP.”

The manager speculated that Walker, who is on injured reserve with inflammation in his right index finger, which is believed to be the reason he hasn’t been able to throw his splitter effectively, would need several rehab starts before he could be activated.

ON THE BRIDGE

Right-handed pitcher Landon Knack (1-2, 2.86 ERA) will start the series finale between the Dodgers and right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola (10-4, 4.38 ERA) on Thursday at 6:05 p.m.