NL East

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper has committed to play for Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Harper joins Mike Trout, J.T. Realmuto, Paul Goldschmidt, Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado in committing to represent the United States on one of baseball's biggest stages.

Team USA now needs a left fielder, shortstop and a pitcher to complete a starting lineup.

Teams are allowed to carry 28 players, with rosters being made up of 13 pitchers and 15 position players.

Team USA is looking good 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hIk8xClnRs

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 12, 2022

The 2023 World Baseball Classic will begin with pool play on March 8 across four host cities—Taichung, Taiwan; Tokyo; Phoenix; Miami. It will end on March 21 at LoanDepot Park in Miami with the championship game.

Team USA will begin play in Pool C alongside Canada, Mexico, Colombia and a to-be-determined team from qualifiers this fall. The Americans won the last WBC in 2017.

This marks the first time Harper will represent the United States in a major, professional tournament. He previously played for Team USA as a member of the 2008 16U National Team and 2009 18U National Team.

Harper has emerged as one of the best outfielders in baseball since making his debut with the Washington Nationals in 2012, when he went on to be named Rookie of the Year and earn an All-Star Game selection.

The 29-year-old spent seven seasons with the Nationals, earning six All-Star Game selections, in addition to a Silver Slugger and MVP award in 2015 after hitting .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs and 99 RBI in 153 games.

Harper joined the Phillies in 2019. He won his second Silver Slugger award and second MVP award in 2021 after hitting .309/.429/.615 with 35 home runs and 84 RBI in 141 games.

This season has been disappointing for the Nevada native due to injuries. He had been dealing with an elbow injury and serving as Philadelphia's designated hitter since April before suffering a broken thumb that his sidelined him since June.

Before being sidelined, Harper was hitting .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs, 48 RBI and nine stolen bases in 64 games. He told reporters last week that he was hoping to return to the lineup in September.

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson confirmed this week that Harper will likely continue to be the team's designated hitter when he returns from injury.

The Phillies are third in the NL East with a 62-49 record. They have a 77 percent chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs, and are currently occupying the second of three wild-card spots.

The Atlanta Braves have placed starting pitcher Max Fried on the seven-day concussion injured list after he hit his head during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the New York Mets, per ESPN.

Fried slipped and fell face-first while attempting to get Francisco Lindor out on a throw to home plate during the third inning of Saturday's game.

Fried remained in the game despite the injury, allowing four runs in six innings.

The 28-year-old's injury is unfortunate for the Braves, who are second in the NL East with a 66-46 record. He is having an impressive 2022 season. Through 22 starts, he is 10-4 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 138.1 innings.

Fried made his debut for the Braves during the 2017 season, but he has been particularly good over the last three years. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2020 and also earned his first Gold Glove.

In 2021, Fried earned his second Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award after hitting .273/.322/.327 with five RBI in 31 games. This season, he earned his first All-Star Game selection.

Fried has emerged as Atlanta's ace, and he'll be a key in Atlanta making it back to the World Series this year. Luckily for the Braves, it doesn't seem like he'll be sidelined for too long.

Charlie Morton, Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider and Jake Odorizzi should be able to carry the rotation in the meantime. Strider, in particular, is having a solid rookie season, posting a 6-4 record in 24 games (13 starts) with a 3.11 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 138 strikeouts in 89.2 innings.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has been diagnosed with a mild calf strain and is considered day-to-day, interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters Thursday.

Schwarber exited Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning after drawing a walk.

Schwarber told reporters after the loss that he has been managing the calf ailment for a few weeks. He added that he probably won't play Friday's game against the New York Mets but hopes to be back as soon as possible.

Losing Schwarber for any period of time isn't ideal for the Phillies as he has been one of the team's best batters. He entered Thursday's game with 34 home runs, 69 RBI and six stolen bases in 108 games with a .212/.314/.504 slash line.

The Phillies are in the midst of a tight playoff race and currently sit third in the NL East with a 62-49 record, 10.5 games behind the first-place Mets and just 3.5 games behind the second-place Atlanta Braves.

Even though Philadelphia is third in the division, they have a 77.6 percent chance to clinch one of the three wild-card spots, per FanGraphs. The 60-50 Milwaukee Brewers, which are the team behind Philly in the wild-card standings, have just a 19.8 percent chance to clinch a wild card berth, per FanGraphs.

The Phillies, Braves and San Diego Padres are currently occupying the NL wild card spots.

With Schwarber sidelined, Matt Vierling or Brandon Marsh could see time in left field. Vierling has played 13 games in left this season, while Marsh, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels, has played 77.

The Atlanta Braves called up top prospect Vaughn Grissom on Wednesday and placed Orlando Arcia on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring.

Grissom has amassed 14 home runs and 67 RBI with High-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi, where he was called up from.

The 6'3", 210-pound shortstop is also ranked No. 98 overall on MLB.com's top-100 prospect list.

As David O'Brien of The Athletic noted, this marks the second time Atlanta has called up its top prospect from Double-A. Last time around, it added Michael Harris II to the big league club, and that has paid off to the tune of 10 home runs, 34 RBI and an .808 OPS in 64 games.

The 21-year-old Grissom will be called upon to play right away, per O'Brien:

Grissom is primarily a shortstop, but has started 19 games at second base including 7 this season (1 at Mississippi, 6 at High-A Rome). He also has started 28 games at 3B including 6 this season.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 10, 2022

Atlanta has already been without second baseman Ozzie Albies, who has sat since June 13 with a fracture in his left foot.

However, general manager Alex Anthopoulos offered some encouraging news to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic on July 14, when he said that the team was looking at him returning "mid- to late-August or worst case the beginning of September."

Grissom is entering the majors on fire with a .363 batting average, three home runs and 12 RBI in 22 Double-A games. He is also joining a team sitting atop the National League Wild Card standings at 65-46, seven games behind the New York Mets for first in the NL East.

The pressure is on for Grissom as he enters the middle of a pennant race, but he's more than capable of doing his part for the defending World Series champions.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom relished his return to the Citi Field mound Sunday.

"Stepping out there was a little bit emotional," deGrom told reporters after a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. "A big ovation, kind of took a second, took it all in and then tried to focus."

🎥 Jacob deGrom on his dominant start: pic.twitter.com/O5uLHMBH8q

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 7, 2022

Jacob deGrom appreciated the standing ovation he got coming off the mound, even though he wasn't happy about giving up a home run:

"It was very nice, but in that moment I was pretty heated" 😂 pic.twitter.com/imVwmRvFIp

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 8, 2022

The right-hander went 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on one hit and striking out 12 batters.

Jacob deGrom pitching. Simple Man blaring.

Perfection. pic.twitter.com/1DxS2MiLJ7

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 7, 2022

Jacob deGrom was DEALING 🔥🔥🔥

12 strikeouts in just 5.2 innings pitched 😤 pic.twitter.com/WIvdhfNA6I

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 7, 2022

DeGrom made his long-awaited season debut Tuesday in a 5-1 road loss to the Washington Nationals. He had been out for more than a year because of forearm and elbow issues and then a stress reaction in his shoulder.

Despite his lengthy layoff, the two-time Cy Young winner has hardly missed a beat. Any fears he might have lost some velocity have been unfounded.

fastest pitches in MLB so far today

deGrom has thrown 1 inning pic.twitter.com/q9Uhu4yo1R

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 7, 2022

Some fans were left underwhelmed by New York's last-minute business ahead of the MLB trade deadline. General manager Billy Eppler opted for marginal upgrades instead of any transformative deals, adding Mychal Givens, Tyler Naquin, Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf.

Getting a healthy deGrom back is far more impactful than any of those acquisitions. They now have perhaps the best starting pitcher in baseball again right in time for the stretch run.

The Mets have the best World Series odds (16.9 percent) of any team on FanGraphs, in part because manager Buck Showalter can lean on a playoff rotation of deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt.

The Mets before Jacob deGrom’s return were a very good baseball team.

The Mets with a healthy and stretched-out deGrom are a nightmare in October.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 7, 2022

This year has been quite a contrast for the Mets.

Fans have gotten used to seeing deGrom shine on teams that fell short of expectations, as the Mets haven't made the playoffs since 2016. Now, they're on track to post the second-highest winning percentage in franchise history despite being without deGrom for the first few months of the season.

The 34-year-old will now get to have an active role in the Mets' pennant chase.

Baseball legend Pete Rose declined to discuss an allegation of statutory rape dating back to the 1970s as he was on hand to celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies' 1980 World Series title.

"No, I’m not here to talk about that," he told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago, babe."

Coffey shared more of Rose's comments:

(2/2) "You weren't even born. So you shouldn't be talking about it, because you weren't born. If you don't know a damn thing about it, don't talk about it."

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) August 7, 2022

In July 2016, Rose filed a defamation lawsuit against John Dowd after Dowd alleged the 17-time All-Star had committed statutory rape while an active player. As part of his defense, Dowd obtained a sworn statement from a woman in July 2017 who said she had had a sexual relationship with Rose in the 1970s before she turned 16. He responded to the allegation by saying he did have a relationship with the woman, but it began when she was 16.

Rose and Dowd ultimately reached a settlement to drop the lawsuit in December 2017.

The Phillies planned to induct Rose into their Wall of Fame as part of its Alumni Weekend in August 2017. However, the team cited "recent events" in explaining why it would no longer be inducting Rose.

The organization addressed its decision to invite the 81-year-old ahead of Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals.

"In planning the 1980 reunion, we consulted with Pete’s teammates about his inclusion," the Phillies said July 24. "Everyone wants Pete to be part of the festivities since there would be no trophy in 1980 without him. In addition, the club received permission from the Commissioner’s Office to invite Pete as a member of the championship team."

Rose was a member of the Phillies for five years. The 1973 MVP remains MLB's all-time hit king, totaling 4,256 over his 24-year career.

Rose remains frozen out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, though, after getting banned from the game for life in 1989 for betting on games.

One collector spent $180,000 at auction for one of the most famous contracts in baseball history signed by...Bobby Bonilla.

While most notable collectables involve Hall of Famers, Bonilla's deal with the New York Mets gets recognition thanks to the yearly reminders every July 1, also known as "Bobby Bonilla Day."

The six-time All-Star agreed to deferred compensation on his initial deal with the Mets that pays him $1,193,248.20 each year through 2035—34 years after his last game in the majors.

According to ESPN's Dan Hajducky, the addendum to Bonilla's contract went up for sale Saturday at Goldin Auctions and saw 15 bids, with the final total reaching $180,000.

The auction winner did get a variety of other prizes, including a signed baseball, a game-used bat and a one-of-one Bobby Bonilla contract NFT. They will also have a Zoom call with Bonilla and Dennis Gilbert, the player's agent who negotiated the deal.

The package features a day with Bonilla and a Mets game at Citi Field.

It's clear someone is truly getting a one-of-a-kind baseball experience.

The face of the Philadelphia Phillies may be back for the final playoff push.

While Bryce Harper wouldn't put a hard timetable on when he will return from the broken left thumb he suffered on June 25, he said he is hoping to come back by "September-ish," per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

He had pins removed from the thumb Monday and is slowly starting a rehab process that includes hitting balls off a tee and light throwing.

That he is throwing is all the more notable because he also suffered a tear in his right UCL in May, which largely limited him to a designated hitter role before he suffered the thumb injury that required surgery.

"It's kind of on the back burner for me," Harper said of the elbow injury that may need surgery after the season. "I just want to get back in the lineup. I want to start hitting. I am not looking to get back to throwing as quickly as possible because I really want to hit, so maybe in the offseason I'll start throwing more."

Getting Harper back even as only a hitter would be a massive boost for the Phillies.

The 2021 National League MVP was slashing .318/.385/.599 with 25 home runs and 48 RBI in 64 games prior to the thumb injury and seemed well on his way to another excellent season.

The seven-time All-Star also led the league with a 1.044 OPS last season.

Having that type of presence in a lineup that also includes Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto for the final month could give Philadelphia the inside track on a wild-card spot.

It is just 0.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final spot, as of Thursday.

As the Philadelphia Phillies continue to fight for a playoff spot, they will do so without Didi Gregorius.

The Phillies announced Thursday that Gregorius has been released after two-plus seasons with the team.

Gregorius hit .181/.234/.284 in 167 PA since being activated from IL on June 5. He singled in 5th inning yesterday for his 999th career hit, and I wonder if he still batted later in the game against a lefty to go for 1,000. Phillies eat about $5 million here.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 4, 2022

Gregorius was hitting .210/.263/.304 with one homer and 19 RBI in 63 games.

In addition to releasing Gregorius, the Phillies reinstated Jean Segura from the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Segura will slot back in as the starting second baseman. Utility infielder Bryson Stott, who has been handling second base, will likely move to the bench.

Edmundo Sosa, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on July 30, can play shortstop. The 26-year-old has been a worse hitter this season than Gregorius. He has a .189/.250/.270 slash line with no homers and eight RBI in 54 games.

The main difference between Sosa and Gregorius is in defensive value. Sosa has been credited with five defensive runs saved in 219.2 innings at shortstop this season, per FanGraphs. Gregorius is minus-six in defensive runs saved over 506 innings at the position.

Philadelphia signed Gregorius to a one-year deal as a free agent in December 2019. The 32-year-old played well in his first season with the team, hitting .284/.339/.488 with 10 homers in 60 games.

The Phillies rewarded Gregorius with a two-year, $28 million deal in February 2021. He has struggled since signing that deal, posting a .613 OPS in 166 games.

Among players with at least 600 plate appearances since the start of 2021, Gregorius has been the fifth-worst player in Major League Baseball with minus-1.0 FanGraphs wins above replacement.

The Phillies (56-48) occupy the final wild-card spot in the NL, but they only lead the Cardinals by a half-game. They will begin a four-game series against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday.

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo on Wednesday addressed the trade of Juan Soto, calling it a "brutal" and "emotional" moment for the franchise.

"Brutal scene. It was very, very difficult," Rizzo told The Sports Junkies. "I had kept Juan and Josh in the loop on where we were at during the trade talks and that type of thing, because I think it's only right to inform them, because they're reading all the stuff that's out there and that type of thing."

The Nationals traded Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres for MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline. The move was an about-face for Rizzo, who previously said the organization had no plans to trade the 23-year-old two-time All-Star.

Rizzo said the team's outlook changed when Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension. While most observers feel the Nationals received a historic haul from the Padres, Rizzo called his meeting with Soto to inform him of the trade an "emotional time."

"Yeah, it was a warm farewell and it was very emotional," Rizzo said. "I told him I loved him and he'll always be a part of my history and my family, and go on and have the career that we all think you're gonna have. And that was it. Yeah. We signed him at 16-and-a-half years old. I had known him since he was 14. It was...yeah, it's a very emotional time."

Washington signed Soto in 2015. Early this year, Elian Soto, Juan's younger brother, verbally agreed to sign with the team when he becomes eligible in January.

So while the divorce between Juan Soto and the Nationals was one few saw coming before the 2022 season, the two sides also apparently have no hard feelings.