Harper's right elbow was touched and he exited the game in the first inning, and X-rays showed no structural damage

The Phillies vs. Warriors were supposed to revolve around a feud between Bryce Harper and Spencer Strider, but the hustle and bustle at Citizens Bank Park came to an abrupt end in the second half of the first inning. When Stred's 95mph (153 km) speedball hit Harper's right elbow, the two-time National League MVP winner clutched his right elbow in pain and fell to one knee. After an emergency review by the team doctor and head coach Rob Thomson, Harper walked straight back to the break room, where substitute runner Edmundo Sosa took over the third base area, and Alec Bohm, who was originally on third base, moved to Harper's first base.

The initial diagnosis is a right elbow contusion, and x-rays rule out fractures. It was a frightening moment for Harper, who had undergone surgery on his right elbow, Tommy John, who missed the first 30 games of the 2023 season after the 2022 World Series and suffered elbow discomfort at the end of last season, which had nothing to do with surgery.

The stats reveal a subtle wrestling between the rivals: Harper hit 3 hits against Stredder in the regular season with a batting average of 0.188, but in the playoffs he hit 3 hits with 1 home run and 3 warranties (including 1 deliberate drive). This touch ball accident has added a new footnote to this fateful duel.