Bryce Harper injury: Phillies slugger lands on 10-day injured list with inflammation in right wrist

The Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday placed All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right wrist. As part of a series of moves, the Phillies selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp to, in essence, take Harper's spot on the active roster. 

Harper has been bothered by the wrist for some time, and he wasn't in the Phillies' lineup on Friday. While Harper has been productive in this, his age-32 season, he hasn't been quite up to his usual standards, particularly in terms of power output. In 57 games this year, he's slashed .258/.368/.446 (126 OPS+) with nine home runs, 13 doubles, and 33 unintentional walks. To state the obvious, the loss of Harper's on-base and count-working abilities is a blow to a Philly offense that's quite top-heavy and doesn't boast much lineup depth. The hope is that the time off will allow Harper's wrist to fully heal and perhaps allow him to ramp up his power production upon his return. 

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While Harper's out, the Phillies figure to play Alec Bohm at first base and start Edmundo Sosa at third base. Kemp's also an intriguing option, as the 25-year-old this season has batted a highly productive .317/.417/.602 with 14 home runs and 19 doubles in 57 games for Lehigh Valley in the International League. 

The Phillies come into Saturday's slate having lost seven of their last eight. Even with that skid, however, they're 37-26 on the season, 2 ½ games back of the New York Mets in the National League East, and presently occupying top wild-card position in the NL.