Harper missed the starting lineup for today's game with a right wrist injury

The Phillies two-time MVP winner Bryce Harper has only recently missed five games with a right elbow injury (he was hit in the right elbow by Spencer Streder's 95-mile speedball on May 28).

Harper's injury last week seemed to avert a crisis, but now his right wrist is a concern. Harper didn't start for today's series opener against the Buccaneers at PNC Field after ending a three-game game in Toronto this week — and the absence was not related to a previous elbow injury.

"There was some soreness in his right wrist," said head coach Rob Thomson, "and it had been going on for some time, and he was stuck with the injury. Thomson said it was a daily observation for the time being, stressing that the problem existed long before the Touchball incident. According to him, the two-time MVP told the medical team before the game that "wrist discomfort is worse than before."

Harper hit a home run in his first game on Tuesday, but then combined for eight hits, 0 hits and five strikeouts. On Thursday, he swallowed three strikeouts in a single game – only the second time this season.

"The swing is obviously blocked," Thomson explains, "and if it affects the blow, you need to rest and recover." "It is uncertain about the specific cause of the wrist injury, and does not rule out the possibility of compensatory injury (note: the wrist is increased in order to protect the elbow). Harper was not interviewed before the game.

Notably, this is not the first time Harper has fought with a wrist injury. He began wearing a black protective sleeve on his right arm at the end of August last year, when he admitted that his wrist and elbow were sore. Harper revealed that he had wrist discomfort since May last year, and although he couldn't remember the exact cause, he said it was "getting worse as the season progressed."

The Phillies are hoping to bring their injuries under control as soon as possible to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.