Bryce is Back! Bryce Harper Returns to the Phillies Lineup

~ Michael Lipinski ~ Leave a comment

The wait is finally over! Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper is returning to the Phillies lineup tonight. He will bat fourth and be the designated hitter.

The team made the move official earlier today.

Harper’s return to the lineup comes a few days earlier than the team expected.  

Harper has been out of the lineup since breaking his thumb on June 25 in San Diego.  Prior to the injury, the 2022 NL All-Star was hitting .318 with 15 homers, 48 RBIs, and a .919 OPS.  The Phillies are 31-20 without Harper in the lineup.  The Phils’ currently +2.0 games of the Padres for the second NL Wild Card spot.  

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Phillies Place Zack Wheeler on the 15-Day IL

~ Michael Lipinski ~ Leave a comment

Ah, typical Philly sports. The good news for Phillies fans has quickly come to an end.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has been placed on the 15-day injured list with forearm tendinitis. The move to the IL is retroactive to August 22. Bailey Falter will start in his place on Friday against Pittsburgh.

Wheeler has struggled in his last seven outings going 3-3 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

Thomson: Bryce Harper Returning to the Phillies Lineup on Friday

~ Michael Lipinski ~ 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Phillies are getting slugger Bryce Harper back sooner than expected.  Harper will be activated on Friday for the Phillies’ series against Pittsburgh.

Harper, who has been out of the Phillies lineup since June 25, has been rehabbing his broken thumb with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  The original plan was for the slugger to rehab through Saturday’s game and evaluate the situation on Sunday.  No one, not even Harper, could foresee the speed at which Harper would reacclimate himself to live pitching. 

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Five Things to Watch: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Miami Dolphins Preseason Edition

~ Michael Lipinski ~ 1 Comment

The 2022 NFL preseason is nearly over for the Philadelphia Eagles and there are still some questions surrounding the Birds.  Here are five things to watch this Saturday night when the Eagles face the Miami Dolphins in the preseason finale.

The Battle at Safety

The Eagles are heading into the season with expectations of having an elite defense.  Jonathan Gannon’s group is pretty good, however there is a glaring hole at the safety position.  Saturday’s preseason contest against the Dolphins may be the final chance for one of the Birds’ safeties to step up. 

Anthony Harris, Marcus Epps, Jaquiski Tart, K’Von Wallace, Andre Chachere, and Reed Blankenship are competing for time at the position.  Epps is in line to be the starter at this rate.  That’s underwhelming to say the least.  

It’s so underwhelming the Eagles are reportedly looking at fixing the position before the regular season opener at Detroit.  

Last Chance for Jalen Reagor?

Could the Jalen Reagor experiment be coming to an end?  

Reagor is competing for the final wide receiver spots with Deon Cain and Devon Allen.  He is apparently having a solid camp, but the team should expect more out of the 1st round pick than being a fifth receiver

NBCS Philly’s Ruben Frank nailed it with this tweet.

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Bryce Harper Clubs Two Doubles, Game Winner for Lehigh Valley

~ Michael Lipinski ~ 2 Comments

It was another big night in the Lehigh Valley for rehabbing Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper.  

Harper went 3-for-5 with two doubles, including a walk-off game winner, and two RBIs for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Through two rehab games, Harper is slashing .625/.700/1.625 with two homers, two doubles, and six RBIs. 

Harper is expected to rehab with the ‘Pigs through the weekend but given his seeming lack of “rust” will that change the timeline?

Simple answer, maybe. The ball is in Harper’s court. 

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MLB, Phillies Release 2023 Schedule

~ Michael Lipinski ~ Leave a comment

Major League Baseball released the 2023 schedule on Wednesday afternoon.  And there’s a new wrinkle being introduced for 2023, a balanced schedule.  Everyone plays everyone at least once and the schedule is no longer division heavy.  

The Philadelphia Phillies will open the 2023 season on Thursday, March 30 at the Texas Rangers for a three-game set. The Fightin’s will then travel to The Bronx for a three-game series against the New York Yankees.  The home opener will take place on Thursday, April 6 at 3:05 PM against the Cincinnati Reds.  

The Phillies will not play a division game until Thursday, May 25 when they travel to Atlanta for a four-game series against the Braves. They will play 49-games against NL East competition including a regular season-ending series in Queens, NYC. 

As for the road trips, they’re only so-so.

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Bryce Harper Homers Twice for Lehigh Valley

~ Michael Lipinski ~ 3 Comments

Rehabbing Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper went 2-for-3 with 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, and a 2 BBs on Tuesday for the Lehigh Valley. The IronPigs defeated Gwinnett 10-5 but more importantly the Phillies’ slugger looked comfortable.

The Phillies slugger spoke after the game about his first true at-bat’s in nearly two months.

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Phillies Option Darick Hall to Triple-A Lehigh Valley

~ Michael Lipinski ~ Leave a comment

The Philadelphia Phillies have optioned first baseman/designated hitter Darick Hall back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the team confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.   In his place, the Phillies have recalled infielder Yairo Munoz. Hall’s move to the minors was originally reported by just about every beat writer that covers the team.  

At first glance the move may seem a bit confusing.  Afterall, Hall was hitting .264 with nine home runs, and 16 RBIs since joining the Phillies on June 29.  However, the power hitting lefty has only had one at-bat since August 18 –0-for-1 with a strikeout on August 21 against the Mets– and the pending return of Bryce Harper eliminates an everyday spot for Hall. 

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NFL Preseason: Eagles Defeat Cleveland 21-20

~ Section247Staff ~ Leave a comment

The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-20 on Sunday in Cleveland. The win evens the Birds’ preseason record at 1–1.

Nick Sirianni chose not to play the Eagles starters instead he went with Gardner Minshew and the backups. The move proved meaningful especially for the offensive line. The Birds’ backup lineman dominated the Browns defensive front.

Here’s more from Cleveland.

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