Phillies lose pair of All-Stars to injury, but did they avoid the worst?

When the Philadelphia Phillies entered Thursday's seventh inning with a 3-0 lead over the last-place Miami Marlins, they hardly could have imagined what was about to unfold.

First off, the Phillies allowed a stunning comeback to the lowly Fish, eventually losing 7-4 after reliable relievers Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman unraveled. But that was nothing compared to the injury scares that came with it.

Kyle Schwarber exited the game with a groin injury suffered while playing left field, just his third game on defense all season. Then, on the game's final out, Bryce Harper fell to the ground grabbing his hamstring after legging out an infield grounder.

It looked like the entire season could be unraveling right in front of the Phillies' eyes. But as of now, it seems as though they may have dodged a huge bullet.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported Friday that both Schwarber and Harper were headed to the 10-day injured list, but that the injuries were not expected to be "significant." Gelb said Schwarber could return after missing the minimum of 10 days, while Harper's timeline is slightly more uncertain.

Harper, the leading vote-getter in the National League for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, reportedly sustained a low-grade hamstring strain. He would be eligible to return on July 9, but the Phillies could stretch his recovery out an extra 10 days beyond that due to the buffer from the All-Star Game.

With Harper and Schwarber both unavailable, the Phillies will be hard-pressed to maintain or extend the sizable division lead they've built over the rival Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They enter play Friday eight games up and will face the Braves next weekend in Atlanta without both of their stars.

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