Harper can’t throw for another month
LOS ANGELES » Phillies slugger Bryce Harper has a small tear in his right elbow and won’t throw for four weeks, but the reigning NL MVP will stay in the lineup as Philadelphia’s designated hitter.
Harper will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Sunday and won’t play that day, manager Joe Girardi said before the team’s series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Harper was hitting .269 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and an .847 OPS going into the series opener against Los Angeles. He won his second NL MVP award last season.
The 29-year-old star has spent most of his time at DH this year because of his elbow trouble. Of his 31 games, he’s played in his usual right field spot just eight times.
The small tear in Harper’s ulnar collateral ligament was revealed during a visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
“What we saw today confirmed probably a new small tear,” Girardi said. “Harp will be no throwing for four weeks. He’ll have a PRP injection on Sunday and we’ll go from there.”
Girardi said Harper might also not play Tuesday night at home against San Diego.
Kershaw placed on IL
The Los Angeles Dodgers
have placed Clayton Kershaw on the injured list with inflammation in a pelvic joint.
The Dodgers made the move several hours before Kershaw (4-0, 1.80 ERA) was slated to face the Phillies at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.
Walker Buehler will start instead.
Los Angeles recalled lefthander Garrett Cleavinger to take Kershaw’s roster spot.
The 34-year-old Kershaw is off to an outstanding start to his 15th season with the Dodgers.
The three-time NL Cy Young winner has 32 strikeouts and just three walks in his five starts since signing a $17 million, one-year deal in March to return to his only professional club.
Kershaw also became the Dodgers’ franchise leader in strikeouts on April 30.
Kershaw has spent time on the injured list in each of the past seven seasons. He was bothered by left arm pain for the entire second half of last season, and he missed the Dodgers’ playoff run.
Buehler (4-1, 1.96 ERA) is making his fill-in start on normal rest because the Dodgers had an off day since his last start. He is also off to an outstanding start to the season with 32 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP.
Cleavinger is returning for his third stint with the
Dodgers after allowing one earned run over 1 2/3 innings in his previous three appearances for Los Angeles
this season. The Dodgers acquired him from Philadelphia in a three-team trade in December 2020.