Bryce Harper Reportedly Moving Back To Outfield After Phillies Acquire Luis Arraez

With the Phillies’ latest trade-deadline splash, Bryce Harper is likely to be playing a different position down the stretch. According to MLB.com, Harper will likely move from first base to the outfield the rest of the season for Philadelphia. That is because the Phillies added an impact bat to the infield on Monday morning. The Phillies acquired three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, who has played primarily first and second base in his career. Bryson Stott will reportedly move from second base to third, while Alec Bohm will move from third base to first. That creates an opening for Arraez at second base, where he has played most of this season for the Giants. All of that means Harper will likely go back to his roots as an outfielder. He brought his outfield glove on the Phillies’ last road trip, indicating he was ready to make the move. It sounds like it will now become a reality. Harper underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2023 season. Since then, he has not played in the outfield. He also had elbow surgery in 2022, so he was mostly a designated hitter that year. Harper has played 947 games in right field in his career, more than any other position. He has played 415 games at first base and 207 games as a designated hitter. At the plate this season, Harper has remained a consistent contributor, even though his batting average has continued to dip. He’s hitting .255, which would be his lowest average since 2018, but his .858 OPS entering play on Monday is still quite respectable. The Phillies have started the second half slowly at 5-10, and they’re now 8.0 games behind the Braves for first place in the National League East. Philadelphia has a one-game lead over the Padres for the third and final NL wild-card spot entering play on Monday.