Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Jean Segura and his manager, Joe Girardi, have apparently made up, though both sides refuse to disclose what led to their dugout confrontation Sunday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins, Segura explained he's had additional conversations with Girardi since the weekend and appears to have cleared the air.

"We love each other, absolutely," Segura said. "Everything has passed and we're all good. We cleared it up, and at the end of the day, we're here to win baseball games."

The two are very much on the same page when it comes to brushing off questions about why the dustup happened in the first place. When reporters broached the topic with Girardi in the immediate aftermath Sunday, the manager refused to offer any comment or explanation.

On Tuesday, Segura followed suit.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," the infielder said. "I'll leave it in the past. Like Joe said [Sunday], whatever is said on the bench, stays on the bench. And whatever is said in the clubhouse, stays in the clubhouse. At the end of the day, we're all here and we're loving each other and we'll continue to play the game."

The feud became noticeably public Sunday when Segura did not join his teammates on the mound to speak with the manager during a pitching change, instead staying at his position.

A short while later in the dugout, Segura had to be held back from Girardi.

The Phillies are 5-5 over their last 10 games, 21-20 overall, and still trying to find a consistent rhythm. Segura has certainly struggled there recently, committing three errors over the weekend.

The 31-year-old remained in the lineup against the Marlins on Tuesday as Philadelphia hosts its division rival.

Whatever else happened between Segura and Girardi will remain private for now. It doesn't appear Girardi has any plans to become the first person to break that silence, either.

"Every little spat that you have with someone that you love at home," Girardi said. "You don't go and tell everyone around you, do you?"

The manager added that he loves Segura, too, and they will continue taking care of things privately.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 14, because of a right elbow impingement.

Gregorius has hit .229 with four home runs, 22 RBI and a .630 OPS in 32 games for the Phils this year.

Right elbow soreness forced him off the field for three games in April, and Gregorius left his team's 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday with right elbow stiffness in the fifth inning.

"It just kind of acted up," manager Joe Girardi said postgame, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

"He didn't feel it in [batting practice]. He must have taken a swing in the game that he felt it [in], and he told us. I think it was after his second at-bat maybe. And that's when we made the switch. ... I imagine he might be out a couple days, like the last time."

The 31-year-old Gregorius said he is concerned about the injury.

"I am worried because I haven't been on the field," Gregorius said recently, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I haven't been playing. And the last time I played, my swings weren't looking really good because I couldn't extend my arm."

The Dutchman also missed one game after being plunked in the ribs with a pitch, and he sat another matchup after being placed on the COVID-19 injured list on April 30 but was reinstated one day later.

Rookie Nick Maton is the most likely replacement for Gregorius at shortstop, having done so numerous times this year. The 24-year-old is hitting .316 with two home runs, seven RBI and a .810 OPS in 25 games.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi did not want to talk about his confrontation with second baseman Jean Segura that happened during Sunday's 10-8 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

"That's a bench conversation, meant for the bench," he said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "You can ask all you want; you got everything you're going to get about it. I'm done with it."

Girardi grew heated after the game when asked about it:

The AP noted that third base coach Dusty Wathan had to hold Segura, who committed two errors during the game, back during the confrontation.

Frustration may be high in Philadelphia following another loss. It is now 3-5 in the last eight games and lost two of three in Toronto as the road woes continue for a team that is 13-6 at home and 8-14 away from home.

Fortunately for the Phillies, they are still just a half-game behind the New York Mets in the National League East as one of only two teams in the struggling division that are now below .500.

Despite his poor game in the field, Segura went 2-for-4 at the dish with a run scored and a walk, continuing his impressive hitting start. Entering play Sunday, he was slashing .320/.349/.450 with two home runs and eight RBI as a key cog in the team's offense.

As for Sunday's incident, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia noted that Segura did not join the rest of the infield at the mound when Girardi came out to make a pitching change. The yelling started in the dugout after that.

He will look to bounce back in the field and keep it rolling at the plate when the Phillies return home for a three-game set against the Miami Marlins starting Tuesday.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius exited Wednesday night's game against the Washington Nationals because of right elbow stiffness.

The 31-year-old re-signed with the Phillies on a two-year, $28 million deal after testing out free agency last offseason after slashing .284/.339/.488 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI over 60 games in 2020.

He entered Wednesday's action hitting .233/.270/.371 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 31 appearances.

Philadelphia's margin for error this year is even slimmer than it was in 2020 after the New York Mets bulked up by bringing in the likes of Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco and James McCann, while the Atlanta Braves continue tinkering with a lineup that's won three straight National League East title.

Not having Gregorius in the lineup shrinks that margin even more.

Fortunately for the second-Phillies, there are a few options for manager Joe Girardi to experiment with at shortstop while Gregorius recovers. Look for Nick Maton and Jean Segura be among the players who could see time at the position until Gregorius returns.

Philadelphia (19-17) currently sits in second place in the NL East, trailing the Mets (18-13) by 1.5 games.

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado has been suspended for three games after taunting New York Mets outfielder Dominic Smith following a strikeout Friday night, per Tim Healey of Newsday, an exchange that led to both benches clearing.

Alvarado wildly celebrated the eighth-inning strikeout, looking in Smith's direction before gesturing and yelling at him as both men walked toward their respective dugouts. Smith reversed course and headed for the pitcher, prompting the benches to clear.

Smith didn't appreciate how Alvarado handled himself after the strikeout in Philadelphia's 2-1 win:

"I don't mind people pimping strikeouts and pimping stuff on the field. I've never been a player like that, but I don't mind it; I love it. But him pointing at me, coming after me and stuff like that—I'm a grown-ass man. Come meet me then if you really got a problem, and we can really handle it.

"So that's how I look at that issue. He waited for his team to grab him and stuff. But I'm right there. He can meet me in the tunnel tomorrow if he really wanna get after it."

Smith and Mets pitcher Miguel Castro were each fined for their roles in the dustup. 

Alvarado and Smith have some history. The Mets outfielder and others on New York's bench jawed at the Phillies pitcher earlier in the month after Alvarado hit Michael Conforto with a pitch:

It would appear that Alvarado hadn't forgotten. His response will cost him three games, however. 

The Mets (10-11) and Phillies (13-14) conclude a three-game series Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The teams split the first two games of the series, with New York holding a 5-3 edge in matchups between the teams this year. 

Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper will miss Friday's game vs. the New York Mets with a wrist injury.

Per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, Harper's absence is related to being hit by a 97 mph Genesis Cabrera fastball during Wednesday's game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals:

The 28-year-old, who won the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year and 2015 NL MVP, has been dominating baseball in 2021. 

The six-time All-Star is hitting .321 with six home runs, 10 RBI and a 1.063 OPS for the 12-13 Phils, who are tied with the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East.

Philadelphia will have to find a way to move ahead without the 10-year veteran for the time being, however, as the ex-Washington National misses time.

Matt Joyce is starting in right field and hitting second for the Phillies on Friday.

He replaced Harper Wednesday after the slugger was hit by Cabrera. Harper came away relatively unscathed after a CT scan was clear:

Joyce, 36, is hitting .176 in 17 plate appearances this year. The 14-year veteran joined the Phillies as a free agent in February.

Philadelphia Phillies superstar right fielder Bryce Harper was hit in the face by a pitch during Wednesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, though he exited the field under his own power, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Harper was the second consecutive batter hit by Genesis Cabrera.

He was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting in the top of the sixth inning.

After the game, Harper took to Instagram to tell fans he was OK:

Harper, 28, has lived up to the hype in Philadelphia after signing a massive 13-year, $330 million deal before the 2019 season, hitting .260 with 35 homers, 114 RBI, 15 stolen bases and 98 runs in his first season with the team. While the Phillies didn't make the postseason, Harper mostly came as advertised.

He continued to play well in 2020, hitting .268 with 13 dingers and 33 RBI in 58 games.

Injuries are always a concern with a player of Harper's caliber. The Phillies can't afford to lose him, or any of their other sluggers like J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins or Didi Gregorius, for long.

A healthy Harper is crucial for any postseason aspirations the Phillies may have this year. Any time he misses could cast their season into peril.

The Philadelphia Phillies have called up outfielder Odubel Herrera to the big league club for the first time since 2019 when he was arrested and charged with domestic violence, though the charges were later dropped. 

The Phillies did not outright release Herrera, though he was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season after his May 2019 arrest and did not play for the team last season. 

Herrera is likely getting a look because the Phillies have gotten abysmal production at the plate from their center-fielders this season:

Herrera, 29, hit .255 with 22 homers, 71 RBI and 64 runs in his last full season in 2018, a career year for the veteran outfielder. If he offers that level of production, the Phillies woes in center field will be over. If he doesn't, it likely will be a need the team needs to address before the trade deadline this year. 

The other aspect of bringing him back into the fold, however, is how both fans and his own teammates will react to him given his arrest. 

"I know he has done a lot himself as far as addressing the situation that took place in counseling, but it’s something that we still have to continue to talk through from an internal perspective," Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in January, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports.

The police report in 2019 said that Herrera's girlfriend "had visible signs of injury to her arms and neck that was sustained after being assaulted by her boyfriend, David Odubel Herrera, during a dispute."

Herrera publicly apologized for his actions in Feb. 2020.

"I wanted to talk to you guys today because I wanted to say I'm sorry to the fans and the organization," he told reporters at the time. "I'm very regretful for what I did. It’s been a lesson learned for me and I want to turn the page and keep going with life."

The Atlanta Braves ripped MLB umpiring and the league's replay system after a controversial call gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 7-6 win Sunday night.

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm was called safe on the field after sliding into home on a Didi Gregorius sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning, breaking a 6-6 tie. However, replay seemingly showed Bohm never touched home plate—his foot only got to the chalk of the batter's box—and should have been ruled out.

MLB's replay officials instead said they did not have definitive evidence to overturn the call on the field. 

"In real time, it's bang-bang," Braves starter Drew Smyly told reporters after the game. "We have five different angles on a national televised game, and it's clear that his foot didn't touch the plate. That it was on the chalk. For MLB not to overturn that, it's embarrassing. Why even have replay if you won't overturn that?"

Braves players weren't the only ones to rip MLB's replay system. Several players, including Mike Trout, expressed surprise at the call:

Angered by the call, Braves fans threw garbage onto the field in protest. While the Atlanta clubhouse was clearly frustrated, players also took time to say the fan reaction was unacceptable.

"I love our city," shortstop Dansby Swanson said. "I love our fans. They're passionate. They care. But what happened after they announced that call is the most embarrassing part of the whole night.

"The throwing of things on the field, it's disrespectful to the people who put in so much work to have the field ready for us every day. ... It's an embarrassing representation of our city. The worst part of it is I don't think people realize we have families here. There are kids that are sitting in the front row, and you have bottles whizzing by their heads. Endangering kids that may not be able to protect themselves is downright embarrassing and shouldn't happen again."

The loss dropped the Braves to 4-5 on the season after they had previously won four straight. The Phillies currently lead a loaded NL East at 6-3.

Bohm said the fact that he was ultimately called safe was "all that matters."

Mark Appel, the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft by the Houston Astros, is set to join the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league camp as part of a comeback attempt. 

"I think that ate at me while I was playing, much more than it's eaten at me since then," Appel told reporters Monday about not reaching the major leagues. "I think I've made peace with who I am, what's happened in my life, what's happened in my career and still have a lot of joy about where I'm going. ... I'm here because I'm playing for the love of the game."

Appel looked like a future front-line starter across three years at Stanford. He compiled a 2.57 ERA and 1.095 WHIP across 47 collegiate starts, and he recorded 130 strikeouts in 106.1 innings during his final season with the Cardinal.

That success never translated to the pro level after the Astros took him with the No. 1 pick.

The Houston native spent five years in the minor leagues between the 'Stros and Phillies organizations, posting a 5.06 ERA across 81 appearances (78 starts). He battled control issues with 158 walks, 37 wild pitches and 16 hit batters in 375.1 innings.

Appel stepped away from the sport after the 2017 season, saying the final few years felt like "survival," but he was revitalized after a year away and started to begin the process of preparing for a return by undergoing shoulder surgery in October 2018.

"By the end of the 2018 season, I was starting to question what it would take for me to play again," he said Monday. "It seemed clear that I still had the desire and just wanted to figure out how to get healthy, and started seeing some doctors."

Now 29, he doesn't expect to dominate hitters from the moment he steps back on the mound at the Phillies' minor league camp, but he's eager for the second chance.

"Now, could I make it to the big leagues, if things are going great? Obviously, once you're back in the system, anything can happen," Appel said.

The Phillies took a flier on a couple of veterans in Matt Moore and Chase Anderson, to fill out the back end of the starting rotation, and Spencer Howard is the only one of their top-tier pitching prospects at the upper levels of the minor leagues.

So if Appel, who reached Triple-A before his hiatus, can assert himself well once the minor league season gets underway in May, it's possible he could be an option for Philadelphia during the season's second half.