Bryce Harper is not yet ready to rejoin the Phillies. He is getting closer, though.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi did not dismiss the idea that Harper could rejoin the Phillies this weekend against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Harper has been on the 10-day injured list since May 23 because of a bruised left wrist. Girardi said the swelling near Harper’s wrist has “pretty much subsided.”

“We like, for the most part, the direction that he's going in,” Girardi said.

Asked about Harper’s chances to play this weekend, Girardi said, “Bryce, we'll have to continue to talk about. We'll have to see how his work goes today.”

Didi Gregorius is further behind Harper. He has not played since May 13 because of inflammation in his right elbow.

Girardi said that Gregorius still experiences “minor stiffness that he has to work through as we increase everything.”

“I think the hitting is what we're probably worried about the most,” said Girardi. “And I think when you worry is the swing and miss.”

Phillies thinking long haul with Big Three
Entering Friday, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin ranked fifth, 13th and 19th, respectively, in the Majors in innings pitched. Girardi knows their rankings well, which is why the Phillies shuffled their rotation this weekend.

They pushed Eflin’s start from Saturday to Wednesday against the Braves. It gives Eflin nine days of rest between starts. Nola will start Tuesday with six days of rest. Wheeler will start Thursday with five days of rest.

“All the innings that the three top guys have amassed, we figured that there’s some concern there,” Girardi said. “It’s over the long haul that we’re talking about as we get into August and September. The immediate concern is not great, but as they continue to add to that inning total, we had some concerns. So, we’re going to try to give each of them a little bit more of a blow.”

Eflin last pitched Sunday against the Rays.

“It’s a little different,” he said. “As starting pitchers, we preach consistency. We like pitching every fifth day. But with these circumstances, we completely understand. This is probably the best time that we’re going to have to get a couple extra days. So, I’ll throw a couple bullpens in between starts to kind of stay sharp. From what I understand, based on the workload from last year, I really only had around 60 innings, and I’ve already passed it this year. So it’s a perfect opportunity to get a couple extra days and go from there.”

Girardi said that even if the Phillies give their top three pitchers an extra day here or there, they believe those three can still make 30 to 32 starts this season.

“We kind of have planned for it,” he said. “But I think that we have to watch and maybe sometimes be proactive instead of reactive. And that's what we're doing here because of the six off-days in June. And it's almost like giving them an All-Star break in a sense. Sometimes you try to give guys extra rest at the All-Star break. Because you got to figure when we get to the All-Star break, that'll probably be the last time we can maybe do it. So we're trying to do it here. We'll do it at the All-Star break, and then we'll see where we're at. But my hope is they can make 32 starts, 30 to 32."