Bryce Harper caught a ground ball during an infield drill and received a compliment, “nice play, Harp!” from manager Rob Thomson. A two-time NL MVP, Harper then threw a baseball from first base into the left field stands.
“That won’t get it done,” shouted infield coach Bobby Dickerson. “That guy’s going to score.”
Harper and the rest of the NL East champion Phillies are working to stay sharp this week as they prepare for Game 1 on Saturday in the NL Division Series.
The Phillies, who will face either Milwaukee or the Mets, have reached the playoffs for the third consecutive year, proudly displaying their 2024 division championship flag in the outfield.
While October baseball feels familiar in Philadelphia, the five-day break is new. The Phillies previously won the NL Wild Card Series by sweeping St. Louis in 2022 and the Marlins last season before eliminating Atlanta in the NLDS both years.
Their 12th division title earned them the No. 2 seed in the National League, right behind Los Angeles, giving them a short pause from the playoff hustle. However, they don’t see it as a break.
“It’s not a vacation,” said second baseman Bryson Stott after Tuesday’s workout.
The Phillies continued with batting practice, infield drills, and pitchers’ fielding drills to keep their routine as normal as possible for this time of year. Team captains, including Harper and Trea Turner for one team, and Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto for the other, will lead an intrasquad game this week.
After some discussion, the Phillies chose not to open the intrasquad game to the public or media, unlike the Braves who did so last season.
