The scuffling Philadelphia Phillies suffered a blow Saturday when they placed first baseman Bryce Harper on the 10-day injured list because of right wrist inflammation before their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Harper sat out Friday night’s 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. The move is retroactive to Friday.

The two-time National League MVP and eight-time All-Star is hitting .258 with nine home runs, 34 runs batted in and eight stolen bases in 57 games. He missed five games from May 26 to June 2 with a bruised right elbow after being hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider.

“It’s been long enough,” Harper said when asked how long his wrist has been bothering him. “It’s got to the point where I can’t really function on a baseball field or anything like that. So, it’s a good time for me to take some time and get it right.”

Harper said he felt pain in the wrist during a large portion of last season, when he hit 30 homers while helping the Phillies win the NL East.

“It’s gotten progressively worse (this season),” Harper said. “I felt it early in the season, and I tried to play through it as long as I could.”

The Phillies do not have a timetable for when Harper may return.

Bieber has setback

Shane Bieber promised himself after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April that he would be honest about his rehabilitation process.

Even though the Cleveland Guardians ace is going through his first setback, Bieber is trying to remain optimistic.

Bieber is in the middle of a seven-day pause from throwing after experiencing soreness in his right elbow following his first rehab start on May 31 and a bullpen session on Tuesday.

The right-hander was scheduled to make his second rehab start with Double-A Akron on Friday before being shut down.

“My mind went back to a very close buddy of mine said a few weeks or a few months back when I was starting bullpens. He was like, ‘Just don’t freak out. If you get a setback, everybody gets at least one,’” Bieber said before Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros. “I was hoping to be that anomaly, but at the same time, maybe it’s just part of the process and I’m trying to listen to my elbow and my body and do what’s best for myself and the team in the long term.”

Bieber will be checked again the middle of next week before the team’s medical staff and specialist Dr. Keith Meister decide the next steps.

Briefly

Dodgers >> Tony Gonsolin was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Dodgers because of right elbow discomfort, joining fellow rotation members Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell among 14 Los Angeles pitchers on the IL.

Braves >> Craig Kimbrel’s stay with the Atlanta Braves lasted just one day as the team designated the franchise’s career saves leader for assignment and recalled left-handed pitcher Austin Cox.

Tigers >> Detroit infield prospect Bryce Rainer will have season-ending shoulder surgery after an injury earlier this week.