Game 1 of the NLDS was a brutal loss for the Philadelphia Phillies. Dropping Game 1 at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers is a brutal start to the playoffs, but what made it a lot worse was the injury to Harrison Bader.
The Phillies’ trade deadline pickup was a huge part of the Phillies’ second-half success, and partway through the game, he left with what was initially reported as a hamstring injury. After the game, it was corrected to a groin injury.
But, with Bader’s injury, there’s a lot of concern about how the Phillies can make some headway in the series. Fortunately, as Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports, Rob Thomson announced some encouraging news on Bader’s injury.
Harrison Bader is still in play for NLDS Game 2
“Harrison Bader is in play for Game 2, Rob Thomson said,” reported Gelb. “Exams showed no major groin tear or strain. He’ll receive treatment today, then they’ll see if he can start or at least come into the game later.”
Harrison Bader is in play for Game 2, Rob Thomson said. Exams showed no major groin tear or strain. He’ll receive treatment today, then they’ll see if he can start or at least come into game later.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) October 5, 2025
Compared to the initial fear, which could’ve had Bader out for the rest of the playoffs, even if the Phillies found a way to advance, this report is a very encouraging one.
Bader is in play to get the Game 2 start, especially if he feels better by Monday night. Getting him back into the lineup and the outfield would be huge.
During Game 1, he hit a sacrifice fly to put the Phillies up 3-0, and then later made an incredible diving play in center field to save a hit, which was a massive play for Philadelphia in the middle of the game.
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While the Phillies can still win the series without Bader, it would be a much more challenging task. They have some outfield options if he were to miss a game or two, but the Phillies would be much better off with Bader in center field than anyone else.
As Gelb’s report indicates, the Phillies aren’t ruling BAder out for Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers. With lefty Blake Snell on the mound, Bader’s return to the lineup would be a huge boon for Philadelphia.
The Phillies could employ a similar situation to what the Dodgers did with catcher Will Smith. He didn’t start the game, but instead came in later as a pinch-hitter in a key spot.
Philadelphia could do the same with Bader later in the game, especially if they are down and on the brink of dropping to 0-2. Thomson shouldn’t be afraid of using Bader if he’s healthy enough to pinch-hit or play defense in center field.
Phillies fans can breathe a sigh of relief, as while there’s no guarantee Bader will play in Game 2, the possibility that he could is a much better outcome than the initial fears right after the injury was announced.
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