The Phillies announced before the game that first baseman Darick Hall, who was replacing Hoskins, was placed on the 10-day IL with a thumb sprain. Infielder Kody Clemens was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his place.
Zack Wheeler (0-1, 8.31 ERA) is the Phillies starting pitcher. The Reds are going with Hunter Greene (0-0, 8.10 ERA).
It’s quite possible that fans arriving early Friday might even see Harper take batting practice. The Phillies have BP from 12-12:45, and gates open at 12:35. Harper took some swings for the first time Tuesday in New York, and it stands to reason that he’d take some more Friday. Harper is rehabbing his way back from offseason elbow surgery. The Phillies haven’t given a definitive timeline for Harper’s return, but it’s possible that it’ll be sometime in May. If the Phillies had put Harper on the 60-day injured list to start the season, he wouldn’t be eligible to return until May 29 at the earliest.
