PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman/designated hitter Bryce Harper left Thursday night's game against the Washington Nationals with what the team called mid-back spasms.
The Phillies said Harper was being evaluated. Manager Rob Thomson said Harper was day-to-day. Harper was originally credited with an error on a grounder by Dominic Smith in the fourth inning when he went to field a ball that hit the first base bag, then bounced off his chest.
The play was later scored as a hit. After Harper reached for the loose ball, television replays showed him trying to flex his legs and shoulders in an attempt to loosen his back.
He stayed in the game before being pulled during the top of the fifth inning. «I was just told by the trainers between innings that it had stiffened up and I said, 'That's it,'» Thomson said.