The Philadelphia Phillies will be keeping an eye on their All-Star slugger Bryce Harper for the next few days.
After Thursday’s game with the Miami Marlins, Harper told reporters, including from the Philadelphia Inquirer, that he felt his lower hamstring before he reached the bag during a play.
Because of that, he’ll get imaging tomorrow. Harper said to reporters that he didn’t know how seriously to take the injury because he “hasn’t really felt anything like this before.”
This game in the same game where designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who was playing a rare game in left field, left the game with groin tightness after the eighth inning.
Harper learned on Thursday that he would start in the All-Star Game for the National League on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. He was the leading vote-getter in the NL, which guaranteed him a spot in the starting lineup.
This injury could put his ability to play in the game in jeopardy.
Harper is slashing .303/.399/.582/.981 with 20 doubles, 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 76 games.
The first base star has not missed any games due to injury this season. He did miss three days in April after he was placed on the paternity list.
He has not suffered an injury since 2022 when he suffered a fractured left thumb and tore the UCL in his right elbow, which required Tommy John surgery after the Phillies’ run to the World Series in 2022, which the Houston Astros won.
Six other Phillies are finalists to be All-Star Game starters, along with Schwarber, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos.
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Could the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees come back together on a deal over the next few days ahead of the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline? The deadline is coming on July 31st and Milwaukee looks like a clear buyer. That's an understatement as Milwaukee arguably is the best overall team in baseball right now. The Brewers could use another big bat, though. The Brewers do have pieces that could be worthwhile to other teams to help bring a slugger back to town. One guy who is going to get plenty of trade buzz is starter Nestor Cortes. The Brewers acquired him from the Yankees last offseason in the Devin Williams trade but he was injured for most of the season. He's healthy now, but is in the minors going through rehab starts. It's unclear how he fits into Milwaukee's rotation as it is currently constructed. The Brewers' rotation seems full, which has helped trigger plenty of trade rumors. The New York Post's Jon Heyman joined in on the noise on Monday and said Cortes will be a trade candidate and openly speculated if the Yankees could be a fit. "Nestor Cortes is a trade candidate with the amazing Brewers actually having a starter surplus," Heyman said. "Might the Yankees bring him back?" This isn't saying much, but what a fun story that would be. The Brewers traded Devin Williams away before he struggled and got a potential long-term answer in the infield with Caleb Durbin. If the Brewers could get something in return from New York for Cortes now, it would just make the deal look even better for Milwaukee in the long run.
Treylon Burks‘ tenure in Tennessee is on track to come to an end. In the wake of his latest injury, the former first-rounder has been waived. This move has come with an injury designation, which comes as no surprise given the broken collarbone Burks recently suffered in training camp. Injuries have plagued the 25-year-old throughout his brief NFL tenure, which began when Tennessee selected him with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft. That selection was acquired by dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles. Given the link between the two wideouts created by the trade, Burks’ evaluations have always been measured against Brown’s Philadelphia success. During each of his three seasons with the Eagles so far, Brown has earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro acclaim; the 28-year-old was also a key figure in the team’s Super Bowl success in 2025. Burks, by contrast, entered this summer on Tennessee’s roster bubble. The Arkansas product managed a career-best 444 yards as a rookie while being limited to 11 games. Optimism was high that, with better luck on the health front, he could round out his game and develop into a regular on offense with the Titans. Staying on the field has proven to be an issue, however — Burks missed six games again in 2023 and an ACL tear limited him to five contests last season — and when available he has not managed to meet expectations. The collarbone injury accelerated the timing for what could have been a decision to move on from the Titans closer to the start of the regular season. Tennessee’s receiver depth chart will once again be headlined by Calvin Ridley this season. Veteran Tyler Lockett was added in free agency, as was Van Jefferson. The Titans used the draft to add a pair of Day 3 prospects at the position (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor), and they will look to handle backup roles during their rookie seasons. Tennessee entered Monday with nearly $30M in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if one of the veterans still on the market is targeted in the wake of this move. Burks is now headed to waivers, with all teams free to claim him. Provided he goes unclaimed, he will revert to injured reserve. Situations such as these often result in a release being worked out along with an injury settlement. If that proves to be the case for Burks, his Titans stint will end on an unwanted but unsurprising note.
The Los Angeles Lakers could make yet another addition to their roster this offseason. After a poor postseason run, the Los Angeles Lakers have been active this summer in hopes of bolstering their roster. In fact, general manager Rob Pelinka has already made some key additions to the roster, including Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart. Signing an elite center was arguably the most important task for Pelinka this offseason, and he fulfilled it with the arrival of Ayton. However, one could argue that the Lakers still need a quality backup center. Luka Doncic could recruit Nikola Vucevic to the Los Angeles Lakers While the Lakers re-signed Jaxson Hayes, a player of Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic’s caliber would undoubtedly be a major upgrade. Moreover, with Vucevic being on the Lakers’ radar for years, it means that the organization rates him highly. Previously, the Bulls didn’t indulge in a trade with the Purple and Gold around Vucevic. It has led to Vucevic’s trade value diminishing so much that he is expected to complete a contract buyout with the Bulls. The Laker Nation would love to sign the 34-year-old, and Luka Doncic can help in this quest. How? Well, Doncic and Vucevic share the same agent in Bill Duffy. This means that if Vucevic completes a buyout, the Lakers could have the upper hand in negotiations. The 2x NBA All-Star has given the last five and a half seasons of his career to the Bulls, but it’s obvious that their time together is about to end sooner rather than later. Adding fuel to the fire were former Orlando Magic star Evan Fournier’s comments. Fournier ridiculed the Bulls while taking a shot at Vucevic after the latter called out his move overseas. Luka Doncic has already proven he can recruit stars Ahead of his first full season with the Lakers, Doncic is doing everything in his power to bring back the glory days for the Lakers. He has already undergone a massive transformation to silence his critics. Additionally, Doncic has been actively involved in recruiting players for the Lakers. Smart admitted Doncic was a huge reason behind his decision to sign with the Lakers. Ayton also acknowledged Luka’s role in his decision to join the Purple and Gold. Let’s not forget Ayton also has the same agent as the Slovenian superstar. So, Doncic has already given the inside track for one star; there’s no reason to doubt he would do the same in Vucevic’s case.
Stuart Skinner’s place with the Edmonton Oilers is perhaps less certain than it’s ever been. The expectation seems to be that he will start the season for the team, but in a recent post, The Athletic columnist Allan Mitchell wrote, “Skinner could be involved in a trade for a goalie upgrade. He would be part of the ask.” Given Skinner’s role in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs and his team-friendly $2.6 million cap hit, it’s not going to be easy to part with an effective netminder at a low cap hit for a bigger swing. But with new GM Stan Bowman openly evaluating the goaltending depth chart, the Oilers seem willing to explore every option in their all-in pursuit of a Cup. Skinner, 25, has logged 50 playoff games over the past three seasons and proven capable of carrying a heavy load. Yet his playoff inconsistency has left some wondering if the Oilers need a more dependable presence in net. But, it’s not as simple as moving out the backup, keeping Skinner, and getting a clear upgrade. More likely, any team giving Edmonton a true No. 1 is going to want Skinner back as part of the trade. For example, there’s no way the New York Islanders are moving Ilya Sorokin without another plan between the pipes. Jeremy Swayman isn’t coming from Boston unless the Bruins know they have a starter in place for when Swayman is gone. If the Sabres were to trade Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, they’d need a goalie to replace him. This is not to say any of these teams are looking to trade their starters or that serious conversations have been had with the Oilers, but you get the point. There’s risk in moving a young, affordable starter, but if Bowman believes a goaltending upgrade is the missing piece, Skinner’s inclusion could be what seals a blockbuster.
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