Philadelphia Phillies

4:10 PM PT -- Scherzer wasn't kiddin' when he said he was gonna try to pitch just ONE DAY after breaking his schnoz. He just took the mound against the Phillies on Wednesday.

Oh yeah ... and he's got a nice shiner to go with it.

Here's how you DON'T bunt a baseball ...

Max Scherzer -- arguably the best pitcher in the MLB -- was working on his bunting game in Nationals' batting practice Tuesday ... when he popped a pitch straight into his face!!

The ball flew into his nose and right eye ... and the 3-time Cy Young winner had to leave the field as a bloody mess.

Bad news for Washington ... x-Rays revealed he broke his nose -- and he even needed a CT scan to determine if his brain was okay.

Good news for Washington? Scherzer is reportedly doing much better Wednesday ... and wants to make his scheduled start Wednesday night against the Phillies!!!

Who said hockey players were the only tough guys left in sports?!?

10:35 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the mug shot from Herrera's arrest.

We've also obtained court docs from the incident ... which say Herrera's girlfriend was found with "hand print markings to her neck area and small scratches to her arms."

Odubel is due in court to face the charge in June on the same day the Phils are scheduled to play the Nationals in D.C.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested Monday night after cops say he roughed up his 20-year-old girlfriend during an altercation in an Atlantic City casino.

According to the Atlantic City Police Department, Herrera and his GF got into a dispute at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino during the Phillies' off day Monday.

Cops were called to the scene ... and when they saw the woman, they said she had visible injuries on her arm and neck.

Cops say they found 27-year-old Herrera in his hotel room after the incident ... and arrested him on the charge of simple assault.

Herrera -- who's batting just .222 with 1 home run for the Phils this season -- was released from custody shortly after and will be required to return for a court date in the future.

For their part ... Major League Baseball says it's placed Herrera on administrative leave in wake of the arrest.

"This morning we were made aware of an alleged incident involving Odúbel Herrera," the Phillies said in a statement ... "Upon receiving this information, we immediately reported the incident to Major League Baseball, which has informed us that Herrera has been placed on Administrative Leave."

"The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the Joint Domestic Violence Policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA."

Bruce Willis has done a lot of cool things in his career ... but uh, this is bad. Like REALLY bad.

The "Die Hard" actor threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game on Wednesday ... and it's pretty damn embarrassing, considering it didn't even make it to the plate before hittin' the ground!!!

A couple of things to address -- 1. Bruce was standing a few feet IN FRONT of the mound and he still didn't reach the plate. 2. How did the "Die Hard" theme music blaring over the PA system NOT get him in the zone??? Dude shoulda been able to throw it a mile.

The boo birds let Willis have it ... and rightfully so. But, there's a silver lining here, Bruce -- at least it wasn't as bad as 50 Cent's first pitch in 2014.

That STILL gives us nightmares.

Aaron Nola -- one of the MLB's best pitchers -- says baseball should NOT move on from umpires in favor of automatic strike zones, telling TMZ Sports, "I don't think it should happen."

Of course, balls, strikes and umps have been a huge topic in the sport recently ... especially after Nola's famous teammate, Bryce Harper, got ejected for arguing a strike earlier this week.

It's led to all kinds of baseball players and pundits wondering if the game should ditch the guys behind the plate in favor of some sort of laser-like strike zone.

But, when we got Nola out in NYC before the Phils took on the Mets on Wednesday ... he told us, "No, I don't think it should happen."

It's interesting, 'cause Nola would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of an automatic strike zone -- dude is one of the league's most precise pitchers ... he had 224 strikeouts last season!!!

Yeah, we didn't think it was possible either ... but Bryce Harper's life keeps on gettin' better -- the Philadelphia Phillies' $330 MILLION man just announced he's havin' a baby boy!!!

"Philly raised little man will be!" Harper said Monday.

Bryce has had the best month of his baseball career BY FAR ... 'cause after signing a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philly, he launched two massive home runs opening weekend.

But now, dude has even MORE to celebrate ... 'cause he says a baby boy with his wife, Kay Harper, is on the way -- and she says the kid will be in a Phillies uniform by THIS summer!!

"Wrigley’s gonna be pissed..." Kay said, referencing the couple's dog ... "Baby Harper making HIS debut Aug. 2019 #littleman"

Bryce and Kay have been together for years ... and tied the knot back in 2016 in an epic ceremony at one of the most famous Mormon temples in the world.

In fact, Kay reportedly played a big role in Bryce's free agency this offseason ... with the outfielder saying he wanted a long-term deal to make sure his family had roots in place for the future.

Now, dude's got that ... and just about everything else!!!

Bryce Harper needs to listen -- and listen good.

If you don't WIN in Philadelphia, the fans will DESTROY you. It will be brutal. It will be merciless ...

... so says Chris Matthews.

The 'Hardball' host is from Philly and says he knows exactly how things will go if Harper doesn't live up to his brand new $330 MILLION contract with the Phillies.

"I know Philly, let me tell you about Philly ..."

Matthews says he knows firsthand how quickly people in Philly will turn on you -- he watched Pete Rose get BOOED by his own Phillies fans in the World Series in the early '80s!!!!

"He struck out and the crowd booed him!! This is Pete Rose!!"

Of course, Philly fans have a long-storied history of being hard on sports teams ... they once threw snowballs at Santa Claus at an Eagles games!!

But, if Harper wins, Matthews says life will be GREAT in the City of Brotherly Love.

"Philly fans, they love you, but they demand great stuff from you."

Chuck Todd is MAD AS HELL that Bryce Harper left his beloved Washington Nationals to sign with the rival Phillies ... and used "Meet the Press" to rip the guy a new one!

"PHILLY?! PHILLY?! Seriously???"

"They will never love you the way Washington would have loved you ... I hope you enjoy 3rd place!"

Ouch.

Of course, Washington and Philly are both in the NL East -- Todd is clearly taking the move pretty hard.

"There will never be a statue of Bryce Harper at National Park in Washington D.C."

Bryce has 330 MILLION reasons to not give a crap about Todd's opinion -- because that's how much cash he'll be making over 13 seasons thanks to his new deal with the Phillies.

By the way, the Nationals only finished 2 games ahead of the Phillies last year -- and now that they have the Nats biggest bat, it ain't looking good in D.C.

Bryce Harper could have another HIGHLY paid teammate in the near future -- because Curt Schilling believes the Phillies are gearing up to make a serious run at Mike Trout.

Of course, Philly just signed Harper to a 13-year, $330 MILLION contract in a move that Curt believes immediately turns the Phillies into a World Series contender.

But, Schilling says he doesn't believe the spending ends with Harper ... telling TMZ Sports, "I believe after next season, Mike Trout goes on the market ... and I can see the Phillies making stupid money offers in that direction as well."

Trout is a 7-time All-Star, 2-time AL MVP and widely regarded as the best player in baseball. He's expected to fetch a contract in the neighborhood of $400 million when he becomes a free agent after the 2020 season.

Everyone knows Trout is a big Philly guy -- he's a staple at Eagles games -- and grew up nearby in south New Jersey.

"My god, could you imagine throwing Bryce Harper in right field and Mike Trout in center field?!"

Bryce Harper's having the best Thursday ever ... dude just made $330 million -- AND HE GOT A MANKINI STRIP SHOW FROM HIS NEW TEAMMATE, JAKE ARRIETA!!!

Bryce just inked a monster 13-year deal worth around $25 MIL per season with the Philadelphia Phillies ... and to celebrate -- his new team's stud pitcher decided to give him a show.

Jake popped on his bikini briefs and sandals ... and broke out his broom for a little victory dance.

"Getting the house ready for [Harper]," Arrieta said.

By the way, Jake spared no expense for the occasion ... 'cause the Versace skivvies he was wearing come in at a cool $225 a piece!!!

Not that that's expensive for Jake ... dude is in the middle of a 3-year, $75 MILLION contract of his own!!!

As for Harper's Phillies deal ... it's the richest free-agent contract in baseball history -- blowing by the 10-year, $300 million contract Manny Machado just inked with the Padres earlier this month.

But, some wonder if Harper could have actually gotten MORE ... saying his per-season salary is actually NOT ENOUGH for a 26-year-old MVP in his prime.

There's no need for Bryce Harper's free agency tour to continue ... 'cause Phillies legend Ryan Howard says Philadelphia is the PERFECT landing spot for the MLB superstar!!!

We got Ryan out at Jay Glazer's Merging Vets & Players Super Bowl Party on Wednesday when he explained to us why the X's and O's just make sense for both Bryce and the Phils.

In fact ... Howard says it's so clear the fit works -- he tells us he'd prefer Philly inks Bryce to a deal if it came down to Harper or other mega free agent Manny Machado.

Of course ... Ryan is biased -- the dude was a left-handed power bat who starred for the Phils -- but he tells us he actually has a great relationship with Bryce on a PERSONAL level.

Howard says he's talked with Bryce before ... and his message to him during this free agency period remains the same, "Bryce, man. Do your thing. You know what it is."

Roy Halladay was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the MLB announced Tuesday -- a little more than 1 year after he tragically died in a plane accident.

The ex-Phillies and Blue Jays ace -- who won the Cy Young twice and was selected to the All-Star Game eight times -- made it in with 85.4 percent of the vote (you need 75% to get in).

Roy passed away in November 2017 after he crashed his ICON A5 light-sport aircraft 10 miles west of St. Petersburg, shocking the entire baseball world. He was 40.

Halladay's widow, Brandy, issued a statement saying ... "Being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame is every boy's dream. To stand on that stage in Cooperstown and deliver your acceptance speech in front of baseball's most enthusiastic fans is something that every baseball player aspires to achieve, and Roy was no exception."

"But that was not Roy's goal. It was not his goal to have those three letters after his signature. His goal was to be successful every single day of his 16-year career. Tonight's announcement is the end result of that effort."

"If only Roy were here to personally express his gratitude for this honor, what an even more amazing day this would be. I would like to extend special thanks to the baseball writers for the overwhelming percentage of votes that Roy received in his first year on the ballot. It means so much to me, Braden and Ryan."

Halladay is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all-time ... compiling a 203-105 record, a 3.38 ERA and 2,117 strikeouts in his 16-year career.

One of baseball's most dangerous power hitters ain't done swinging for the fences just yet ... 'cause 38-year-old Ryan Howard tells TMZ Sports he's gunning to return to the MLB this season!!

We spoke with the 2006 National League MVP about his future in baseball ... and the 3-time All-Star makes it very clear he's not ready to walk away just yet.

"I'm still active, so we'll see what happens. Right now, we're kinda in the belly of the beast," Howard says.

Howard blew up early in his career ... leading the league in homers 2 different seasons. He spent most of last season bouncing around the minor leagues, but wants to put any retirement talk to rest:

Darren Daulton -- a former all-star catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies -- has died after a long battle with brain cancer.

The Phillies released a statement Sunday night saying Daulton had passed away ... no other details immediately available. Daulton was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2013 after having 2 tumors removed. He announced he was cancer free in 2015, but the disease returned.

Daulton played professional baseball since 1980, and played almost his entire career with the Phillies before retiring in 1997. He was a key part of the Phillies winning the National League Championship in 1993 ... during which he had 24 home runs and 105 RBIs. He also went on to win a World Series with the Marlins in his final year.

Daulton was inducted into the Phillies' Wall of Fame in 2010.

Pete Rose is betting on himself again ... opening the Pete Rose Bar & Grill in Las Vegas -- where you can definitely watch sports ... but can't bet on them.

Charlie Hustle says the Pete Rose Bar & Grill will open on Las Vegas Blvd. in mid-October ... and says the place will be chock full of TVs so sports fans can booze and eat and watch ANY sporting event they want.

As for the menu ... Rose says it's essentially a love letter to the cities where he played with items like:

-- Cincinnati Chili on Spaghetti for the Cincinnati Reds
-- A classic Philly Cheese Steak for the Philadelphia Phillies
-- And a spin on Poutine for the Montreal Expos, topped with brown gravy and cheese curds.

As for gambling, we're told there will be NONE -- not even those video poker machines at the bar -- because Rose says he really wants to focus on the food and the atmosphere.

Two days after tying the knot, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and his Eagles cheerleader bride Krystle Campbell took a break from enjoying their honeymoon to take part in the bizarre ritual of
trashing their wedding dress for a photo shoot in Maui on Monday.

For those who don't know, it's become somewhat of a trend for a newlywed couple to destroy the bride's expensive wedding gown -- often at a beach or lake -- and capture it on film.