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Diabierna 30 aPriL 2021

Phillies' Bryce Harper hit by pitch in face, "feels good"

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Phillies star Harper was drilled in the left cheek "Face is still there, so we're all good," Under the three-batter minimum
Bryce Harper said he feels fine af- by left-handed reliever Génesis Ca- he said. rule for relievers, Cabrera had to stay
ter being hit in the face by a 96.9 brera's first pitch in the sixth inning. in. McCutchen followed with his
mph fastball Wednesday night, The All-Star slugger picked himself Cabrera drilled Didi Gregorius with RBI single.
forcing him from Philadelphia's up and walked off the field, blood another fastball on his next pitch.
game against St. Louis. dripping from a cut on the side of his Phillies manager Joe Girardi came "Man, that was tough watching that,"
nose. out of the dugout to argue with plate McCutchen said.
"Everything feels good," Harper said umpire Chris Segal and was ejected.
in a video he posted to Instagram. He He appeared to have only minor St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said
said he got a CT scan and other test- swelling and bruising in the video he Matt Joyce ran for Harper, and Gre- he would have pulled Cabrera if he
ing and "Everything came back good." sent to social media. gorius remained in the game. Cabre- could have.
ra allowed an RBI single to Andrew
McCutchen the next at-bat before "It was a tie game. It was right in his
being pulled. spot," Shildt said. "It was completely
unfortunate the ball got away from
"I've been hit in the face, broke my him. Our prayers are with Bryce
nose. It's scary," Girardi said. "I don't Harper and we hope he's OK.
think he did it on purpose. I'm not
saying that. But for the protection of "It's a failure of the three-batter mini-
the players, he has to go." mum. Completely, absolutely no
doubt. You're talking about an aggres-
Cabrera, through translator Antonio sive young pitcher throwing to one of
Mujica, expressed remorse for his the superstars of this game. Clearly,
pitching. he felt terrible. Everybody knows it
was completely unintentional."
"I'm very sorry for Bryce Harper,"
Cabrera said. "I want to again to Harper grounded out and struck out
apologize to all of the action that hap- in his first two at-bats. Gregorius
pened, especially to Harper. I really doubled and struck out in his two at-
wish him the best and I hope he has a bats.
speedy recovery. The game got away
from me. I'm really sorry for every- Harper, in the third year of a $330
thing that happened. It was not inten- million, 13-year deal, entered the
tional." game hitting .329, including .432
over his last 10 games.