Braves Pitcher Accused of Purposely Hurting Bryce Harper After 95MPH Heater Shatters Surgically Repaired Elbow

Citizen Bank Park had a sharp edge to it on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia Phillies were fresh off a seven-game trip. They were riding a 9-game winning streak before their latest loss to the Oakland Athletics. Bryce Harper batted .323 with three doubles, a home run, and seven RBIs across seven games. He was ready to take over the Atlanta Braves this time. However, just minutes into the first inning, Harper was done for the night.

Braves’ starter Spencer Strider was on the other side of the ball and threw a 95.3 mph fastball that directly hit Harper’s right elbow. Just as that happened, the slugger took a few steps away from the home plate and dropped down to his knee in visible pain. He gripped his arm as he was still on the ground, and soon all the trainers rushed to check on him.

Harper was then taken off to the clubhouse.

32-year-old Harper had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2022 after the World Series. Next, he stayed out of the lineup for 160 days. Naturally, this time being hit on the same right elbow sparked immediate worry. X-rays were done soon enough, and the team later confirmed that Harper suffered a right elbow contusion.

Well, the game continued. Edmundo Sosa stayed at third to replace Harper. And Alec Bohm took over the first. After the inning, just when Strider walked off the pitching mound, he was showered with boos from the Phillies’ nation. Not his velocity, but his intention was questioned all over the internet.

It was Strider’s third start for the Braves after returning from a strained hamstring. Harper has been against Strider in the past, and he was 3-for-16 (.188) in regular-season matchups. And right now, Strider is being accused of intentionally hitting Harper. Not just Strider, the Braves are being criticized altogether, with accusations of deliberate acts against Harper.

Now, even though the Phillies secured the 2-0 win against the Braves, the tensions are still hovering over Harper’s injury.

Fan fury erupts: Accusations at Strider for Harper’s hit-by-pitch

Bryce Harper has a history of injuries. He missed 53 games in 2022 after breaking his thumb, which, by the way, was also hit-by-pitch. Now, the Phillies’ nation booed Strider heavily when he was walking off the field after the first inning. To many, it was simply intentional.

Fans took a shot at the Atlanta Braves for pushing the limits of fair play. “Dirty a– Atlanta thugs can’t play a clean baseball game.” Well, most times hit-by-pitch is unintentional. But fans believe Strider’s pitch was a form of retaliation. After all, Harper is only 3-for-16 against Strider during the regular season. But also, Harper is 3-for-4 with a home run and three walks, out of which one was intentional.

In spite of the intent, Strider became the spotlight for his pitch against Harper. “Oh man…someone on the Braves definitely getting drilled for this. Intentional or not.” It’s not in the baseball playbook, but oftentimes, teams do respond to perceived intentional hits. It’s not pretty; however, the tensions will rise again when the Phillies go against the Braves for the next matchup on Tuesday.

Sometimes, just adding ‘almost’ can make an accusation a bit subtle. “Looked intentional almost….” Well, let’s also note that Harper wasn’t wearing any elbow guards. A hitter of his caliber should’ve been wearing one, no? However, even more so, fans are tapping into the belief that, regardless of anything, Strider hit Harper on purpose. Not to forget, he’s one of the best hitters, and the Phillies rely on him heavily.

It’s a three-game series between the Braves and Phillies. It was just the opening game where things got so escalated. That brings the possibility of the next two games being even more intense. “There might be a brawl this series.” The Phillies’ loyalists are clearly upset. And now, when a team’s star has been wronged, things can heat up real quick.

Out of all the other Braves pitchers, it was Strider! “The irony of it being Strider that hit Harper smh.” Given that Harper has struggled against Strider in the past, it gives fans a bigger reason to accuse him. It was the same elbow Harper had to get surgically repaired. All the factors contributed to making this hit-by-pitch a lot more suspicious.

Well, there’s no denying that baseball comes with countless silent wars. In this instance, fans exploded, pointing out the irony of the players involved. Now, seems like the series will continue with even more intensity. But Harper’s return date on the field is still uncertain. So, for the time being, Phillies Nation is not getting over the incident anytime soon.