Phillies' Dombrowski: Harper likely to report in two weeks
Bryce Harper's arrival at spring training camp remains a couple of weeks away as the Philadelphia Phillies slugger recovers from elbow surgery.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that Harper is taking swings with a bat at home in Las Vegas and will report March 8 or 9.
Harper had surgery on his right elbow in November after leading the Phillies to the NL pennant. The Phillies said then that Harper was expected to return in a designated hitter role by the All-Star break and could play right field by season's end.
“He's doing great from the recovery perspective,” Dombrowski said. “In his progress, doctors are happy where he is.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said the next step in the rehab progress will be Harper hitting off a tee and taking soft toss in a batting cage.
THOMPSON OFFERS ARBITRATION ANALYSIS >> Tampa Bay reliever Ryan Thompson called for more transparency in the arbitration process after losing his case last week. Thompson will make $1 million rather than the $1.2 million he sought.
“The biggest issue with this process to me is that the arbitrators get to make whatever decision they come to, but with no explanation or defense of the decision,” Thompson said in a lengthy Twitter thread. “In any other legal case, the decision is public, this for some reason is very hidden and secretive.
“If the process is created in order for fairness, then why don't we learn the laws of the land? In some sense, we were shooting in the dark not knowing what the arbitrators leaned into and what they disregarded. These understandings matter.”
Major League Baseball and the players' association agreed when they established arbitration for 1974 that only a decision would be issued, with no explanation.
CORTES CONTINUES ADVANCING >> New York Yankees All-Star left-hander Nestor Cortes worked an inning in his first simulated game since a strained right hamstring resulted in a 10day layoff.
The injury cost Cortes a chance to pitch for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.
Cortes, who struck out Anthony Rizzo, is set to have another simulated game before possibly appearing in a spring training game.
“Actually, it was a lot better than I thought it would be,” Cortes said. “Just because it was my first live, I didn't know how the leg was going to react with the intensity and facing those guys.”
Cortes went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts last year.
BEN GAMEL JOINS RAYS >> Outfielder Ben Gamel and the Tampa Bay Rays finalized a minor league contract.
Gamel, who turns 31 on May 17, hit .232 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 115 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He's a .253 career hitter with 40 homers and 198 RBIs over portions of seven seasons with the New York Yankees, Seattle, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.