Bryce Harper makes his debut at first base in Phillies’ game against Cleveland Guardians

CLEVELAND — Bobby Dickerson has spent the last few months teaching Bryce Harper how to field bunts, take different kinds of throws, and all of the other nuances involved in playing first base. But he has also preached the importance of patience.

It’s easier said than done. Harper is a two-time MVP, a seven-time All-Star, and one of the best players of his generation, but on Friday night he was doing something he had never done in his professional baseball career: make a start at first base. Because he is not on the injured list, he can’t go on a rehab assignment to get reps in the minor leagues.

He will have to learn in the big leagues. That will likely involve making mistakes in the big leagues. But Harper didn’t get to where he is in his career without keeping those mistakes to a minimum.

There is a perception that first base is easy, and Dickerson, the Phillies’ infield coach, would be the first to say it’s not. Harper will have to react quicker than he would in the outfield. He’ll have to learn the difference between throws from infielders Edmundo Sosa, Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, and Bryson Stott — and whether those throws carry or sink.

It’s impossible to simulate all of this without playing in games. Which is why Dickerson has preached patience.

“If you miss the cutoff man from the outfield, you don’t get an error,” he said. “But if you throw the ball high to second with a guy running to second, it’s going to be an error. So it’s a lot more … measurable accountability. The mistakes are highlighted a lot more on the infield.

“Other than missing a fly ball, which is rare, mistakes in the outfield don’t happen a lot. If you throw to the wrong base, it’s not highlighted as much as if you’re throwing to the wrong base in the infield.

“It’s not different from Stott. There were some growing pains here and there. With Bohm, there were some growing pains. That’s how I look at Harp. Even though he’s been in the big leagues, I look at him as a rookie right now. He’s going to be growing. And he’s going to be better tomorrow than he was today. That’s just how it is. He’ll be better at the end of the year than [he] was the first day or the first week.”

Dickerson is confident that Harper will bring a humility to the position. He’s seen it in how he practices. Harper will miss a ball or not step on the bag and point at himself and say, “I see what I did there” or “I screwed that up.” What he hopes is that Harper will have some grace for himself, too.

“He hasn’t made an error in a game yet,” Dickerson said. “And those hurt. Those feel bad. Fans boo you. A lot of things come with it. But for him to actually step up and want to do this to help the team tells you a lot about who he is and what he’s about. Trying to get everyone in the lineup and so on and so forth.

“I tell him, ‘Look, you want me to be patient with you? You’ve got to be patient with yourself.’ But it’s a lot easier for me to be patient. I’m not the one out there who is the MVP. Going through failure is hard. Making mistakes is hard. And maybe there won’t be very many. Maybe he’s that talented of a player.”

» READ MORE: As Bryce Harper braces for a new position, a former Phillies player weighs in: ‘First base is not easy’

Dickerson has seen it before. He watched outfielder/first baseman Steve Pearce transition to second base with the Orioles in 2015 and turn two double plays in his first game at the position — all without playing second in the minor leagues. But it is rare.

“It’s not simple,” Dickerson said. “This is the highest level of baseball. He’s going to handle the ball tonight more than any infielder will. He’s got to catch every throw that they make. He’s got to field his position. Handle all the responsibilities of his position. Catch throw-overs from pitchers. He’s got a lot of things going on tonight.”

A few weeks ago, Jake Cave approached his IronPigs manager, Anthony Contreras, with an idea. Cave saw that the Phillies had a need at left field and first base. He played first for most of his early baseball career, through travel ball and high school. Why not start getting some reps there, just in case?

Contreras was thinking the same thing. So Cave started to field ground balls after his outfield work. On Thursday night, he played his first game at first base. Initially, the plan was for him to play seven innings, but he felt so good that he played nine.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Cave, who was recalled Friday, will be an option to fill in on the days that Harper is designated hitter. The plan right now is for Harper to play first base every other day.

Having Cave able to play left field and first should create some flexibility for the Phillies’ lineup. It also gets Kyle Schwarber off of his feet in left field. Cave saw Schwarber a few hours before game time.

“I told him, ‘I got you, man. I’m here for you,’” Cave said.

First baseman Darick Hall and infielder Drew Ellis were optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley after Thursday’s game to make room on the roster for Cave and Josh Harrison, reinstated from the 10-day injured list (bruised wrist). … Seranthony Domínguez started a rehab assignment Friday night in Lehigh Valley. He will throw one inning. … José Alvarado is still throwing out to 75 feet and playing catch. He is with the team in Cleveland.