Phillies’ Bryce Harper announces he underwent blood procedure

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper is prioritizing his physical recovery this offseason, taking an unconventional step as part of his training regimen.

On Friday, Harper revealed on Instagram that he recently underwent an Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation procedure, widely known as EBOO. The announcement comes after Philadelphia’s 2025 campaign ended with a second straight NLDS exit, losing in four games to the team that went on to win the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Harper appeared in 132 games in the past season, finishing with a .261 batting average, 27 home runs, 75 RBIs, 12 steals, and a 129 OPS+. Although productive, the results fell short of the expectations attached to the 13-year, $330 million contract he signed with the Phillies in 2019 — a point Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski stressed after the team’s postseason elimination. Philadelphia still won 96 wins, their most since 2011, but come October, the team’s offense fizzled.

The 33-year-old responded by undergoing EBOO, a therapy marketed in the integrative wellness space. In his post, he described it in the following way:

“EBOO is a procedure in which 1/3 of your blood is drawn from your body, passed through a filtration and ozonation device, and then returned to your bloodstream.

Circulates your blood outside your body
Exposes the blood to ozone (O₃) and will oxygenate or filter the blood before returning it to you.

This will:
Improve circulation
Reduce inflammation
Fight infections
Support immune function
Remove toxins
Increase energy”

The full session processes several liters of blood, far more than typical ozone therapies, by pulling blood from one arm, enriching it with medical-grade oxygen and ozone, filtering out waste and inflammatory molecules, and returning it through the other.

While clinics in the United States can legally administer EBOO, the FDA has not approved it for treating or preventing illness. MLB policy does not prohibit the procedure, as it does not introduce performance-enhancing substances or compounds that metabolize into banned agents. Still, the league historically treats any non-standard medical intervention with caution, and players remain responsible for anything that could fall under chemical enhancement.

Harper has long expressed his desire to play longer, with the ultimate goal of staying in the game into his 40s. After 14 MLB seasons, including two MVP awards, eight All-Star selections, and four Silver Sluggers, he remains determined to maximize longevity.

Still sitting on six years and $144 million, Harper is taking extreme measures, even some that seem like science fiction, to make sure he’s at his best next season.