Phillies’ Don Mattingly Fires Back at Bryce Harper

Speaking with Foul Territory, Mattingly defended the roster already in place rather than focusing on outside additions. "When you say something about our team, then you're saying something about one of our players that you don't like," Mattingly said while addressing Harper's public comments after Tuesday's loss.

The exchange comes as Philadelphia has dropped eight of its last 11 games since the All-Star break, including six contests in which the offense has scored one run or fewer. The recent slide has increased attention on president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski as the trade deadline approaches.

Harper has continued to produce individually despite the team's offensive struggles. Through 108 games, the former National League MVP is batting .252 with a .358 on-base percentage, a .488 slugging percentage, 22 home runs and 63 RBIs.

Mattingly also shuffled his lineup for Wednesday's series finale against Miami, moving Harper back to first base while giving Kyle Schwarber the day off. Whether the Phillies ultimately add reinforcements before Sunday's deadline remains to be seen, but the club will first look to halt its recent slide with the players already on the roster.