Harper gets first hit of the spring

Bryce Harper has his first hit as a Phillie. Sort of.

Harper went 2-for-4 at the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater in a minor league game with the Tigers and played four innings in right field. Harper jokingly asked to keep the ball after his first of two singles, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury.

Harper had been 0-for-8 with four walks in five games with the Phillies and missed a game last week after being hit in the ankle with a 96 mph fastball from James Paxton Friday, but he appears to be fine. He went 0-for-3 Sunday against the Yankees with the big league club.

While Harper was in Clearwater, two other presumed Phillies starters took steps toward the opening day lineup in a 4-1 loss to the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Cesar Hernandez (hip) and Odubel Herrera (hamstring) each played four innings in the field and got three at-bats. Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a single, while Herrera reached on an error and struck out twice.

It’s Hernandez’s third game in five days after being out since Feb. 25. Herrera was in only his second game of the spring after the grade 1 hammy strain. Both are progressing.

“I thought he was actually really aware in center field,” manager Gabe Kapler said of Herrera. “One of the things that we always say is how engaged is Odubel and when it seemed like he’s not engaged, understandably, a lot of questions arise about, is he paying attention 100 percent?”

“Today, he backed up bases. He was especially engaged, especially aware. I think it’s important to call those things out when they’re happening. I think he did a good job carrying himself.”

All three of those players are working to get their timing down after unconventional springs. But Kapler expects them to be ready to go March 28.

“When you’re down to eight games left, you wonder if you’re going to get there from a timing perspective,” he said. “Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But we’re going to go on opening day, and our expectation is that (Herrera) is going to be locked in and ready to go at that point.”

Zach Eflin pitched five strong innings, continuing an exemplary spring. He gave up two home runs — one to Tyler O’Neill in the second inning, the outfielder’s fifth of the spring, and then Paul Goldschmidt’s first home run as a Cardinal in the fifth. That last one came with two outs after Hernandez’s replacement, Gregorio Petit, booted what should’ve been the third out.

“I didn’t have my best pitches today,” Eflin said. “I didn’t have my best fastball. The sinker was moving, which is kind of why we stuck around with that. It seemed to be working, pounding them in and switching up their lanes. Just on a day where I didn’t have my best stuff I thought we did a good job of managing the game.”

Eflin walked one and struck out three.

“From a volume perspective, we got him to his 75 pitches or so,” Kapler said. “We would’ve liked to see him get up one more time and we probably would have, but there’s one play where we weren’t able to make, and therefore we had to cut his outing just a little bit short. I’d say mission accomplished for Zach today.”