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MIAMI — Bryce Harper took the first pitch Monday night, then fouled off a splitter that might have nicked the zone. He was still in a good count to see a strike, but in July, he’s chased too much and failed to drive the strikes he’s seen.

He got a hittable 95 mph sinker from Miami Marlins starter Tyler Phillips. He did not miss it.

Harper is hitting .160 in July with a .617 OPS. It would be the third-worst month of his career by OPS. A few days ago, Harper cut his hair.

“You guys think I cut it because of that,” he said. “But I don’t.”

The prolonged slump is on his mind. Does he feel pressure to do more because those around him in the Phillies lineup have underperformed?

“I think that’s more of: If I don’t perform to my ability, then we’re not going to be the team we should be, right?” Harper said. “So that’s me always. But, obviously, the last month’s been crappy. Ever since Kansas City (on July 4-6), that’s kind of when it started going down.”

What does Bryce Harper collect?

Maybe the two-run homer off Phillips and two walks in Monday’s 8-7 loss were the start of a climb. Harper, who has started in every Phillies game this season, will be the Phillies’ designated hitter Tuesday night. He’d like to play 162 games. That is something Harper has never done in his career. One reason he’s on track to do it is that he’s playing first base, a position that takes physical strain off his body.

But he has regressed at first base, often failing to corral balls whenever he must dive to his right. It hasn’t been as crisp defensively as it once was; it’s always easier to focus on something when it is the shiny, new toy. The Phillies are convinced first base is where Harper, 33, should remain.

Still, he stuffed an old thing in his travel bag this week.

“I brought my glove,” Harper said, “just in case they make a trade.”

Harper has not used that outfield glove in a game since April 16, 2022. A ligament injury to his right elbow made him a designated hitter, then first base became the path toward a quicker return. Harper, time and time again, has offered to return to the outfield if the Phillies can obtain a slugging first baseman in a trade. The Phillies, time and time again, have declined those overtures.

They are highly unlikely to move Harper to the outfield over the next week leading into Monday’s trade deadline. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is with the team this week but declined comment on any trade-related matters until the Phillies execute any transactions.

Even if the Phillies were more open to flipping Harper’s position during the season, the trade market isn’t teeming with difference-making first basemen. They could call the Houston Astros, who remain in contention, about Christian Walker. But Walker, who is having a decent season, is signed through 2027. Harper’s change would have to be more than temporary.

That is not likely.

“Organizationally, I haven’t talked to anybody about it,” said Harper, when asked about the trade deadline. “So I don’t know. I mean, I think everybody knows kind of what we need, right? I mean everybody in here knows what we want. Everybody in baseball kind of knows what we need. So there’s players out there that are available, and I think we have a good opportunity to go get the guys we need. If that’s the bullpen, if that’s in our lineup, if that’s a starting pitcher. You guys know what our five spot’s looked like all year. I think we’re 14 and something …”

It’s much worse than that. The Phillies are 5-21 when someone not named Sánchez, Wheeler, Luzardo or Nola starts for them.

“That’s a tough place to be,” Harper said. “I think if you flip that 10 games and you’re 15 and 11, it’s a lot different place than we’re standing in right now. I think also we need a guy that can swing to the bullpen in the postseason. You know? Where you have that fifth starter and fourth starter that can throw out of the bullpen.”

In other words, not a mere stopgap.

The Phillies have their people everywhere in the days leading up to the deadline. Over the weekend, they had a scout in New York who saw Freddy Peralta pitch — along with other potential Mets targets. They have been tracking Clay Holmes’ rehab and will probably have someone at his minor-league outing Tuesday in Florida. They had a scout in Boston see Kevin Gausman pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays. They will continue to watch the Blue Jays, who have several players who would hypothetically fit the Phillies. They had someone watching Washington Nationals lefty Foster Griffin. They have had a scout on the San Francisco Giants, who have veteran lefty Robbie Ray. They’ve had in-person looks at the Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies.

“We are watching everyone,” said a team source, who was granted anonymity in exchange for candor. That is the bare minimum at this time of year. Teams now make fewer decisions based on in-person looks, but the Phillies value having boots on the ground.

“I just have no idea what Dombrowski’s thinking,” Harper said. “I haven’t talked to him. It’s his job. It’s not my job. It’s my job to go out and play and do my job. Obviously, in the last month, I haven’t done my job to the best of my ability.”

Harper bemoaned his proclivity for chasing bad pitches this month. That’s a problem. But so are his declining numbers against lefties, who have held him to a .621 OPS — a 194-point drop from a season ago. He’s struggled in particular against left-handed fastballs. He slugged .543 on those pitches from 2023 through 2025. It’s only .295 in 2026.

No matter the handedness, Harper has not hit the pitches he should hit in July.

Missing it in the zone

Month% Pitches In ZoneBASLGIn-Zone SO

Mar/April

41.7

.319

.638

7

May

43.7

.311

.705

9

June

40.4

.262

.631

13

July

42.5

.217

.435

14

“I’m healthy,” Harper said. “I feel good. My body feels strong. It’s just not going right now. It’s not. And I know that. I’m doing everything I can. Right? I’m trying. But the swing feels good. I think it’s the chase and not hitting the pitches in the zone. I feel like I tell you guys this every year. I just haven’t done it.”

Harper, in recent years, has gone through an annual stretch like this. But it was more pronounced in 91 plate appearances this July. Only July 2024 (.598 OPS in 75 plate appearances) and September/October 2022 (.615 OPS in 125 plate appearances) were less-productive months in his career.

“Just one of those months right now,” Harper said. “So just try to fight through it, and get to where I need to be.”

The whole team could probably use a boost at the trade deadline. It might not be a major acquisition, but something would help. Nothing is guaranteed for these Phillies (57-50), who are holding onto a wild-card spot by two games.

“Just get us in,” Harper said. “I think that’s a big deal, too. Hopefully, we have the pieces to do it.”