Bryce Harper had to leave Tuesday night’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves after being hit by a pitch in the first inning. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider caught Harper in the elbow, putting him in immediate distress.

The quick exit for Harper wasn’t a surprise. He went down on one knee in pain while clutching his arm. It didn’t look good.

Fortunately, the Phillies announced that x-rays were negative on Harper’s elbow. He officially has a right elbow contusion, which could certainly take him out of action for a spell.

Strider’s lack of control shouldn’t be a surprise, either. The Braves rushed him back from the injured list after a hamstring injury on the back of his recovery from elbow surgery. He didn’t look right in his first start and things didn’t change in his second on Tuesday.

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Braves played fast and loose with Spencer Strider’s return and HBPs have followed

Strider first returned from a year-long absence after surgery on his UCL in April. However, he strained his hamstring while playing catch ahead of his second scheduled start. That injury sidelined him for another month.

Instead of getting Strider a rehab start or two in the minors, the Braves brought him back to face the Nationals on May 20 with only a simulated game under his belt. He made it through 4.1 innings with six hits and four home runs allowed. He hit two batters in that game.

Fast forward a week later to Tuesday, and Strider’s sharpness was still questionable. Even though he managed five strikeouts his first three innings, he also allowed a run, walked two and hit Harper.

HBPs happen. There’s certainly no guarantee that Strider wouldn’t have hit Harper if he’d been given more of a lead up to his return. Still, the Braves have taken a risk by rushing him back and three different batters have been hit in seven innings since.

In fact, in three starts this season, Strider has yet to not hit a batter. He had never hit a player in two consecutive starts in his career before this, let alone three.