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Bryce Harper will be unavailable for the next few days, as the superstar slugger has been placed on the paternity list, as he's expecting a child soon.
This is a temporary leave and is not as restrictive as the IL, so Harper will be back soon. In his place, Kody Clemens has been recalled from AAA.
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This is not the first time in recent memory that a Philadelphia Phillies player has landed on the paternity list. Many are fathers and have welcomed children to the world recently, and Harper is adding his name to that list. That's something many fans noticed as they reacted to the news.
"Didn’t know he was expecting. Congrats! Family more important than baseball. Enjoy!" another fan said.
"Congratulations Harp!" one person chimed in.
Others saw the buzzwords for an injury and grew momentarily concerned for Harper's long-term status.
"I saw 'placed' , 'Bryce Harper' and 'list' and I started to panic," one fan said.
"DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT," one yelled.
The Phillies will miss Harper's presence in their lineup, but he has chosen to go be with his family as it prepares to grow. The absence shouldn't last very long, though, as paternity lists don't stay populated for very long in the MLB.
Bryce Harper off to a slow start in 2024
Bryce Harper is one of the few two-time MVPs playing in baseball, but he hasn't showed that form just yet in 2024. He has been slow to start, posting low numbers across the board. He's slashing .241/.330/.443. His wRC+ is slightly above league average at 109, but it's far from his 141 career metric.
He has, however, been excellent on defense. Not even a primary first baseman, the experiment has paid off. Harper had one defensive run saved in 303 innings there last year. Through just 188 innings in 2024, he's already up to four.
That has offset the lackluster offense, but the Phillies, who are 14-8 and among baseball's best despite little production from Harper, will need him to rebound quickly.
