Phillies Injury Updates: Harper, Suárez make progress

The Latest Phillies Injury News

• Bryce Harper (recovery from right elbow reconstruction/repair)
• Status: 10-day injured list — Aiming for late May return
• Bryce Harper faced Ranger Suárez in live batting practice on Tuesday, April 18 in Chicago. Per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman, Harper saw around 12 pitches and hit one of them hard to deep center field. He’s been cleared to slide feet-first and is awaiting a follow-up visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache to get the all clear to slide head-first — and possibly return to the lineup. (Last Updated April 18) – Destiny Lugardo

Something I thought was interesting: On the pregame show today, Thomson agreed with Franzke when he suggested that the hope is for Harper to get his hitting preparation out of the way now so that he’s ready to return to the lineup once he gets clearance to slide head-first.

— Destiny Lugardo (@destiny_lugardo) April 18, 2023

• Ranger Suarez (left elbow strain) 
• Status: 15-day injured list — Aiming for late April, early May return
• Suárez faced Harper and Cristian Pache in live batting practice on Tuesday, April 18, throwing around 25 pitches. He’ll throw an up-and-down bullpen during the Phillies’ next homestand, which begins Thursday, April 20. It’s possible Suárez could go on a rehab assignment after that, according to MLB.com. (Last Updated April 18) – Destiny Lugardo

• Nick Nelson (left hamstring strain) 
• Status: 15-day injured list – Currently on rehab assignment
• Nelson threw live batting practice to Harper last week. As of April 18, Nelson is currently on rehab assignment with the Clearwater Threshers. (Last Updated April 18) – Destiny Lugardo

• Andrew Painter (right UCL sprain)
• Status: — 60-day MiLB injured list — Aiming for midsummer return
• Andrew Painter began his throwing program on Monday, April 10. He’s currently playing catch every other day. He progressed to throwing from 60 feet on April 14, per MLB.com. There is still no definitive timetable for a return. Rob Thomson also said it is likely that Painter will spend most of his time rehabbing in Clearwater. (Last Updated April 14) – Destiny Lugardo

• Cristopher Sánchez (left triceps strain)
• Status: 15-day injured list — Currently on rehab assignment
• Sánchez struck out six and didn’t allow a hit over four scoreless innings for Lehigh Valley Tuesday. Per Thomson, Sánchez sat at 92-94 mph over his 51 pitches. He’ll throw around 65-70 pitches in his next rehab outing on April 16, per MLB.com. (Last Updated April 14) — Destiny Lugardo

• Darick Hall (right thumb sprain)
• Status: 10-day injured list — Out for two months
• Darick Hall underwent surgery to repair his right thumb sprain on the morning of Wednesday, April 12. Thomson said the procedure went well. The Phillies say the approximate timetable for a return is two months.
•  “I think it really depends on how well you do and how you feel,” Hall said on Friday, April 7. “It’s about strength. It’s my bottom hand. It’s my throwing hand, so I’ve got to feel good about it. When they test the grip, it’s gotta be pretty close to where it was to be OK.” (Last Updated April 12) – Destiny Lugardo

• Griff McGarry 
• Status: Will start season on MiLB injured list 
• The Reading Fightin Phils released their 2023 Opening Day roster and it did not include prospect Griff McGarry. Matt Gelb of The Athletic says he will start the season on the injured list. He’s dealing with side tightness, according to the Inquirer’s Scott Lauber. Farm director Preston Mattingly told Lauber that the injury is “mild” and the Phillies do not expect it to linger. Of the Phillies’ top three pitching prospects, Mick Abel is the only one who will start the season healthy.  (Last Updated April 4) – Destiny Lugardo

• Noah Song (low back strain)
• Status: 15-day injured list
• The former Rule-5 pick is slated to throw a bullpen session Saturday. Once Song is ready to return, the Phillies will need to keep him on their 26-man roster or subject him to waivers. (Last Updated April 1) – Tim Kelly

• Rhys Hoskins (torn ACL) 
• Status: 60-day injured list — Out for 7-9 months
• The Phillies first baseman underwent successful surgery the morning of Thursday, March 30. The club officially announced that his recovery timeline is seven to nine months, meaning there is a very small chance that Hoskins could return to the team if the Phillies make another deep postseason run. Hoskins suffered the injury while trying to field a high chopper during a spring training game on March 23. (Last Updated March 30) – Destiny Lugardo

• Rafael Marchan (right hamate fracture)
• Status: 60-day injured list — Likely to be back in June
• Marchan, the Phillies’ third catcher, has not played since March 7. He underwent surgery the week of March 27 to repair the hamate fracture. It was initially thought that Marchan had a bruise, but additional testing revealed a fracture. Dombrowski said that the recovery timeline for Marchan is seven to eight weeks. (Last Updated March 30) — Destiny Lugardo

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