Harper questions continue | Sports Daily Newsletter

How will the Phillies cope without their main man? It was a major question this past season that they answered by winning enough games during Harper’s absence due to a broken thumb to make the postseason for the first time in a decade. But simply put, Harper had returned by then and without his stellar contributions, it’s doubtful the team would have made the World Series and taken the favored Astros to six games.

Yet all that time off for the thumb to heal did not improve Harper’s elbow issue. Now the Phillies All-Star is headed for surgery next week.

Even though the healing times vary, it’s practically certain Harper won’t be ready to play on opening day. How long it will take him to fully heal is a major question, as is the one about how the team will respond without him this time.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓Were you a Phillies fan who thought it was all over for the team when Harper broke his thumb? If so, what moment convinced you otherwise? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Among several roster moves on Wednesday, the Eagles signed veteran defensive tackle Linval Joseph and placed Dallas Goedert and Marlon Tuipulotu on injured reserve. Joseph figures to take Tuipulotu’s role as the short-term replacement for Jordan Davis at the heart of the Eagles’ run defense.

“That’s a big dude,” Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams said of Joseph, who has played 12 NFL seasons. “Just having a big [man] like him in the middle, he definitely is going to command some attention.”

Goedert suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to the Commanders. Tuipulotu’s injury was not disclosed.

Some negative numbers explain why the Eagles are no longer undefeated.

Next: The Eagles visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CBS3).

The 76ers have big plans for Philly’s downtown. Harboring hopes of creating a new arena complex, which would be called 76 Place, in Center City, they gave a tour of the area on Tuesday and shared their hopes of having a zoning ordinance by June.

“Once we have our zoning, we have a project,” said David Adelman, the billionaire chief executive officer of Campus Apartments and developer who recently became a Sixers minority owner. Adelman and Sixers chief executive officer Tad Brown shared their vision with media members, and The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell was there to take it all in.

Next: The Sixers return to the court to play against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday (ESPN).

The 2021-22 Flyers endured losing streak after losing streak, highlighted by an early-season 10-game skid that was followed by a franchise-record 13-game barren run.

After a bright start to this season, the Flyers have suddenly lost four straight and face a critical stretch if they are to get the train back on the tracks. If they don’t, as Giana Han writes, it could quickly become a case of déjà vu.

Next: The Flyers travel to Boston to take on the first-place Bruins on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Fans of Ted Lasso who have been charmed by the comedy, which is set in England, might be a little conflicted by the World Cup group game that pits the United States men’s national team against England’s squad. The fictional character himself doesn’t seem torn. He’s Team USA all the way, as evidenced by a series of messages congratulating the players on the U.S. roster.

Lasso didn’t forget the Medford Messi, either, and where else would the missive to Brenden Aaronson be posted but in Medford itself? Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald went to view the banner and also speak to Brenden’s dad, Rusty, about the player’s journey to the World Cup.

Feeling the World Cup fever yet? Ed Barkowitz has 50 World Cup things to know to get that started.

Also, for those who have been wondering about the cost to watch Major League Soccer games next year, here’s the damage.

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, says the team has the payroll flexibility to sign another high-salaried free agent. That means that free-agent shortstops Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, and Carlos Correa can expect a call from the Phillies.

The Phillies’ offseason message is not quite Doug Pederson’s “New normal,” Marcus Hayes writes, but it comes pretty close.

“We’re not looking for really good,” manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday. “We’re looking for great. That’s going to be the focus of what I talk about a lot to the players. We don’t want to be just good. We don’t want to be really good. We want to be great.”

Writes Hayes, “OK. I’m buying.”

Also from Marcus Hayes: Nick Castellanos’ home run total fell from 34 to 13 this season. Rhys Hoskins committed 12 errors at first base. But the Phillies say Castellanos just had a lot of distractions this year. And they say Hoskins actually improved as a fielder.

We asked you: The Eagles will be facing some tough running backs. How can they patch the holes in their rushing defense? Among your responses:

I have the solution. Play Nakobe Dean at strong safety. — Andrew G.

Sign Ndamukong Suh. He is a true nose tackle, then you have the option in the 3-4 and 4-3 defense when Davis comes back, you can put both in the gap of the center and have fresh legs on the ends. We are too soft in the middle. Now is also the time to give Dean a shot at linebacker. — Randy J.

The interior D-line may be one of the lightest in the league w/o Davis. Therefore, the Eagles may need to shore up the run defense with a mix of run blitzes and press cover on the wideouts. That way, there are more defenders around the line of scrimmage. In other words, mix in a more aggressive style. — Reggie S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Ed Barkowitz, Giana Han, Kristen Graham, Marcus Hayes, Mike Jensen, Scott Lauber, Gina Mizell, Josh Tolentino, and EJ Smith.