Why was Bryce Harper ejected? Phillies superstar booted from game vs Cardinals

The Philadelphia Phillies will continue Friday's action without their superstar Bryce Harper, who was ejected in the top of the third inning. The two-time MVP was tossed from the game after arguing a strike three call from the home plate umpire Alex Tosi. Edmundo Sosa was brought into the game as a replacement for him.

"Bryce Harper just got ejected. Whipped his bat and helmet toward the Phillies dugout after striking out. Said something to home plate umpire Alex Tosi." - @ToddZolecki

A visibly upset Bryce Harper was seen hurling his helmet and bat toward the dugout before giving Tosi a piece of his mind, leading to his ejection from the game. The seven-time All-Star has been known to wear his heart on his sleeve, which has equally earned respect from fans and garnered criticism from others.

While ejections are a part of baseball, the fact that every win and loss matters at this stage of the season makes the ejection of Harper more devastating for Philadelphia. Even though the Phillies sit atop the National League Wild Card standings, they only hold a four-game lead over their rivals.

"Bryce Harper ejected because he was (rightfully) upset about pitch 4" - @2008Philz

One of the best hitters in baseball, Harper has been on a tear at the plate lately, going 5-for-15 in his last five games. During that stretch, the 2022 NLCS MVP has drawn eight walks while hitting a pair of home runs and recording three RBIs in the process. Luckily for Philadelphia, they were winning 4-0 at the time of Harper's ejection.

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A closer look at the 2023 season for Bryce Harper

It's been a remarkable season for Bryce Harper, considering the fact that the slugger opened the season on the IL while recovering from Tommy John Surgery. It was expected that Harper would be out of the lineup until at least the All-Star Game. However, the superstar was able to return to the Phillies lineup on May 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Harper visited esteemed surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache for his Tommy John Surgery. ElAttrache is the same doctor who performed surgery on the torn Achilles tendons of both Aaron Rodgers and Kobe Bryant.

After the surgery, Harper was able to return to the lineup after only 160 days, which was the fastest return on record by a major league player.