PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper was out of the starting lineup Friday against Minnesota, a day after he was sidelined by mid-back spasms.
Harper said before Friday's game he did expect a long absence and that the spasms were unrelated to back pain that kept him out of games in 2021.
"I felt better today. We'll see how I feel tomorrow,'' Harper said.
Harper, a two-time NL MVP, said he felt the spasms early in first inning against Washington but wanted to continue to play.
"I just didn't feel like it was fair for me to come out of the game in the first,'' Harper said. "I thought I could loosen it up. Just wasn't able to get it loose to where I wanted it to be.''
Alec Bohm started at first base for the Phillies on Friday night. Harper said he did not think he would be available to pinch-hit.
After Harper reached for a loose ball on a grounder in the fourth against the Nationals, Harper flexed his legs and shoulders in an attempt to loosen his back. He was pulled during the top of the fifth inning in Philadelphia's 6-2 victory over Washington.
"I was just told by the trainers between innings that it had stiffened up and I said, 'That's it,''' manager Rob Thomson said.
Harper was playing his 12th game at first base after starting 70 games at designated hitter following offseason Tommy John surgery that limited him to just eight games in right field in 2022. He had not previously played the infield after 1,446 games as an outfielder or designated hitter.
Harper is hitting .293 with seven homers and 38 RBIs. Bohm has received the majority of Philadelphia's starts at the position in place of Rhys Hoskins, who was lost late in spring training with a left anterior cruciate ligament tear.
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