Bryce Harper and Trea Turner are reunited on the Philadelphia Phillies, but they haven’t quite looked like their past selves so far this season. Harper made a stunningly quick return from offseason Tommy John surgery after his postseason heroics led the Phillies to an unlikely World Series berth, but the 30-year-old superstar is struggling mightily to find his power swing thus far in 2023.
Turner, meanwhile, has unexpectedly struggled in the first year of an 11-year, $300-million contract that he signed with the Phillies last offseason. His current OPS of .691 would be the lowest of his rookie season and well over 100 points lower than his OPS in each of the last three seasons, after each of which he received MVP votes.
Turner has been healthy this year, but Harper’s fellow 30-year-old is not getting any younger, a fact which Harper himself jokingly pointed out on the basepaths during the Phillies’ game against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Harper hit a double down the right-field line, the type of hit on which Turner, one of Major League Baseball’s fastest players, usually scores from first.
But Turner was instead stopped at third, and Harper could not resist trolling his old friend for not scoring. As Turner caught his breath on one knee at third base during a timeout, Harper signaled 3-0 from where he was standing on second base and mimicked using a walker.
The next batter, J.T. Realmuto, doubled in both runners anyway and the Phillies went on to win 7-6 in walk-off fashion, providing a happy ending for Harper and Turner — even if they keep getting reminded, like all of us, that they’re getting older.
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more