ST. LOUIS -- Bryce Harper's sore left knee wasn’t such an issue ahead of the Trade Deadline that it factored into any of Philadelphia’s roster decisions, but it was there.
After acquiring Luis Arraez in a trade with the Giants at the Deadline, Harper returned to right field -- where he had not appeared since 2022 -- and his left knee soreness has become more prevalent.
“Just soreness, nothing over the top,” Harper said Wednesday prior to the series finale between the Phillies and Cardinals. “I’m sore, so I’m just going to try to play through, grind through it a little bit. Started back before the All-Star break a little bit, and then more time on the feet running, obviously, just kind of irritated it a little bit.”
Harper’s knee pain became noticeable after he slid hard into second base on a first-inning double in Detroit on July 11. Contact with the ground left Harper dealing with pain that at first subsided, but has resurfaced in recent days.
Harper has been penciled in the Phillies’ lineup as their designated hitter in two out of nine games since the Deadline in an effort to stay off his feet in deference to remaining healthy.
Interim manager Don Mattingly acknowledged that Harper’s labored pace in running out two double-play ground balls on Tuesday night was a concession in making sure he didn’t push too hard in spots where there was little to gain.
Asked if Harper was protecting the knee on those plays, Mattingly responded, “Yeah, for sure.”
“It’s in an OK spot though,” Mattingly added. “I think it’s in an OK spot. He said nothing [after the game]. Not better, not worse after last night, so I think he’s in an OK spot. I think guys know when they hit that ball, depending on what kind of ball they hit, that they’re not gonna make it.”
The issue appeared to crop up briefly during the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Cardinals, though Harper said there was no reason for concern.
After fouling off Cards reliever Luis Gastelum’s second pitch, Harper opted for time and took long enough to get back into the batter’s box that home plate umpire Dan Iassogna paused the pitch clock to check in with him.
“Took two really bad swings, needed to keep my composure a bit,” Harper said. “I was good.”
“I think so,” Mattingly answered when asked if Harper was OK following the at-bat. “If it gets to the point when he’s hurt or hurting, then we probably should just sit him and let him get healthy at this point, if he’s hurt. He’s saying he’s not hurt, it’s no different than before. We just go to medical every day, they tell us [if] he’s available, make a decision.”
For Harper, the first order of concern is taking the necessary steps to be on the field and contribute as best he can down the stretch for the Phillies. Playing all 162 games, however, is not something he’s achieved in his previous 14 seasons in the Majors, topping out at 159 games for the Nationals in 2018. He played just two fewer in 2019, but has otherwise not exceeded 145 games played as a Phillie.
A complete season has meaning to Harper, he acknowledged, and through Wednesday, he has been featured in all 122 Phillies lineups in 2026.
“Obviously, I’ve got to be smart,” Harper conceded. “It’s on my mind to play 162. It has been all year. It would be kind of like a badge of honor kind of thing. But at the same time, we’ve got bigger aspirations to worry about and figure out. So, if I do need to take a day here or there, I’ll do that, just for the sake of hopefully getting to the postseason.”