Phillies’ Harper ejected after charging Rockies dugout
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was ejected from Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Colorado after charging at the Rockies’ dugout following the last out of the top of the seventh inning, setting off an altercation that cleared both teams’ benches and bullpens.
Harper appeared to respond to Colorado reliever Jake Bird, who clapped a hand against his glove and said something toward the Philadelphia dugout.
“I get emotion,” Harper said. “I understand getting fired up for an inning and stuff like that, but once you make it about a team or make it about yourself and the other team, that’s when I’ve kind of got a problem with it.”
Harper was initially restrained by Rockies catcher Elias Díaz, then Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan prevented the two-time NL MVP from entering a group of players and coaches gathered near the first-base line.
“After that point, I went out there just to go,” Harper said. “J.T. (Realmuto) was right behind me. Taijuan (Walker), same thing. I appreciate my teammates for coming out with me and doing that. It was the heat of the moment. Once we got out there, (Bird) just flew into the dugout and went away. Nobody really saw him after he did what he did.”
“A guy yelling in your dugout? That shouldn’t happen,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Flat-out, that shouldn’t happen.”
Harper returned to the NL champion Phillies on May 2 after recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Bird was also ejected. “I get a little emotional on the mound sometimes,” said Bird, who added his comments toward the dugout weren’t directed at anyone in particular. “It’s a good team. It was a big moment. I got a little emotional out there. They took exception to it.”
“He’s a great player,” Bird said of Harper. “He plays with emotion. I love that he plays with emotion. He’s a player I look up to.”
■ FELTNER UPDATE: Colorado pitcher Ryan Feltner has a skull fracture and concussion after getting hit by a line drive off the bat of Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos.
Feltner was injured Saturday night and was likely to be discharged from Swedish Medical Center later Sunday. He will not need surgery.
“Overall, he’s fine,” Colorado manager Bud Black said before Sunday’s game. “I think the feeling is that it could have been worse.”
Feltner was hurt in the second inning when Castellanos hit a slider 92.7 mph back at the mound. The ball hit Feltner on the back right side of his head, and he fell to the ground. He lay on his stomach as two members of the Rockies athletic training staff aided. He was able to get on his feet and walked off the field with the assistance of the two trainers.
Black said Feltner was “still fairly lucid” and was texting with his teammates, his parents, team medical staff and the manager on Saturday. Black said he thinks Feltner, who was placed on the 15-day injured list, will be back with the team today or Tuesday.
“He just needs time to let the fractures heal and the concussion to diminish,” Black said. “From everything that I’ve been told here this morning, things are looking up.”
Feltner is 2-3 with a 5.86 ERA.