Phillies Take Another Series But Bryce Harper Is Starting Slow I PHLY Phillies Podcast

The Phillies took the Colorado series 2-1, outscoring the Rockies 13-6 across three games at Coors Field — including a dominant 10-1 blowout in the opener. Now they pack their bags and head west for a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants starting Monday night. We break down what went right, what went wrong, and what to watch for on the road trip. 

🔴 BRYCE HARPER'S SLOW START — Harper opened the year going 2-for-24 (.083) through his first five games, but he snapped the slump in a big way with a 424-foot solo shot against Washington. Is the franchise player finally heating up, or is there still cause for concern? We dive into the approach and what it means for the lineup. 

🔴 ZACK WHEELER REHAB UPDATE — The three-time All-Star is working his way back from thoracic outlet decompression surgery and the Phillies are still targeting an April return. His second rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley was rough on paper — five runs allowed — but his defense didn't do him any favors, with a fly ball dropping between two outfielders to blow open the inning MLB. Thomson has confirmed Wheeler will need a fourth rehab start before rejoining the rotation. We break down what we saw and what to expect. 

🔴 BRANDON MARSH IS LOCKED IN — Marsh has a hit in all eight games he's started this season and his .303 average since last May ranks fifth among all MLB players with 400+ plate appearances. Manager Rob Thomson is crediting a "Schwarber approach" — thinking left-center, staying on the ball. Marsh describes it as "controlled aggression." Whatever it is, it's working — and he announced himself in Colorado with a 454-foot bomb, the longest home run of his career. 

🔴 ADOLIS GARCÍA'S HOT START — The new right fielder signed on a one-year, $10M deal to replace Nick Castellanos and he's been impressive early. García is hitting .318 with a home run, and the advanced metrics back it up — a 96.8 mph average exit velocity with a .314 xBA and .460 xSLG. The $10 million reclamation bet is looking good so far. 

🗓️ UP NEXT: PHI @ SF — Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday night at Oracle Park 
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