Bryce Harper out of Phillies’ lineup for 5th straight game

Bryce Harper was absent from the lineup for a fifth straight game Friday as the Phillies opened a three-game series at home against the Dodgers.

Harper had a PRP injection in his injured right elbow Sunday in Los Angeles. The team expected the shot to keep him out until at least Wednesday and Harper has also missed Thursday and Friday.

"Just not ready yet so we'll shoot for tomorrow," manager Joe Girardi said prior to Friday's game. "As we've said, it's day by day and it's just not ready."

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Girardi said Harper took "a few more swings today so he's pretty close" and that he does not think a stint on the 10-day injured list would be required. The Phillies would only be able to backdate it a maximum of three days anyway, not five or six.

"He's OK," Girardi said when asked how Harper is doing mentally after missing nearly a week's worth of games. "He understands the routine. This is part of being an athlete. Sometimes they put you in timeout."

The Phillies are 1-3 in the games Harper has missed. He was scalding when he went down, going 18 for 36 (.500) in a nine-game stretch with seven doubles, five homers, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored.

The Phils have scored seven runs in the four games without Harper. Nick Castellanos is 5 for his last 34, Kyle Schwarber is 5 for his last 37 and J.T. Realmuto is down to .230 after going 1 for his last 20.