CLEARWATER, Fla. — Bryce Harper was in the Phillies dugout when teammate Rhys Hoskins tore his cruciate ligament. He hoped the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked and texted Hoskins after the game to make sure.
“He called me a few hours later and let me know what happened,” Harper said Saturday. “We told him we loved him. If he needs anything, we are there for him. super depressed.”
» READ MORE: Trea Turner Is ‘Philadelphia’s Next Chase Utley’: Charlie Manuel Evokes the Phillies Legend
Hoskins was in and out of the Phillies clubhouse on Saturday afternoon. Harper expects the Phillies first baseman to be on the team as much as possible. Hoskins will soon be getting a second opinion on his left knee but is likely to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery that will sideline him for the season.
“He’s one of those guys,” Harper said. “We all call him our captain. We all call him Mr. Philly for a reason. He’s the guy. If someone has a question, we go to them. Whenever the media wants to talk, we go to him. He’s our leader here since he got up here. Ever since I’ve been here, he’s been our type.
“He’s a great teammate, a great person. He’s one of the best guys I know.”
» READ MORE: Rhys Hoskins has torn cruciate ligament. Here’s what you should know about the Phillies first baseman injury.
An update on Harper’s rehab
Harper, who underwent Tommy John surgery in November, was at Schmidt Field in the Phillies’ Carpenter Complex Saturday morning playing groundballs with infield coach Bobby Dickerson and first base coach Paco Figueroa. Harper was behind first base, leading some to speculate as to whether or not he’ll get infield time this season, but his coaches say that’s not the plan.
“You just get his glove work, his glove presentation, his glove action,” Dickerson said. “It’s been a while since he’s caught Grounder and stuff, so he’s trying to work on some techniques so that when he starts throwing again, he’s a little ahead.”
Bryce Harper, who continues to return from Tommy John surgery, said his outfield work — and his throwing and batting program — is all driven by the Phillies’ coaching staff, led by head athletic coach Paul Buchheit. … Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Harper arrived in Clearwater on March 9 and has been working with Figueroa on outfield exercises ever since. The two have been working on glove isolation, base running and ground balls every other day.
The next step for Harper will be to work on his outfield angles; Drop steps, fielding fly balls and live drives. But at the moment, Figueroa doesn’t know when that will happen.
“He’s looking great, he’s excited, he’s back on his feet,” said Figueroa. “If you’ve ever had injuries it’s difficult because he sees his teammates preparing for the season. His presence alone is enormous for us. He’s a guy I tell everyone – I’m happy he likes to work. He is very diligent in his work. He’s following.”
Harper said his outfield work — and his throwing and batting program — is all driven by the Phillies’ coaching staff, led by athletic director Paul Buchheit.
“It really just depends on what Paul thinks,” Harper said. “As much as he pushed me forward, he’s also pulling me back. So, I’m just really trying to listen to him and to listen to the doctors, Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache to make sure we’re all on the same page. They know what’s best for me, so they just try to follow that as much as possible.”
Ranger Suárez update
Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez has not thrown a mound since March 8, when he felt tenderness in his left forearm while pitching for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. He had a scheduled bullpen session on Wednesday, scraped from a left elbow infection, but played catch on Friday and Saturday.
Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez recently throws during a pitching session at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. . … Read moreYong Kim / Associate Photographer
Suárez said it went well. He felt a little tightness in his arm, but “nothing bad”. He’s not sure when his next bullpen session will be.
Additional bases
Just hours after Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced that contract negotiations with Aaron Nola had come to a temporary halt, Nola took the mound at BayCare Ballpark for his final start of Grapefruit League spring training. It didn’t go well. Nola allowed seven runs (five earned runs) through 1 2/3 innings against the Yankees, with one walk, in the Phillies’ later 8-3 loss to the Yankees on Saturday. … Right fielder Nick Castellanos hit a home run by Yankees pitcher (and former Phillie) James Norwood in the sixth inning. It was Castellanos’ third home run this spring. … Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, who left the WBC early with a right knee injury, is scheduled to travel to Sarasota, Fla., on Sunday to play the Orioles. He says he feels ready for opening day. “I took some backfield at-bats and then got into a game behind the plate today,” he said. “Everything was good.” … Manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies plan to announce their lineup for Opening Day on Monday.
READ MORE: Phillies pause for now on Aaron Nola contract extension talks