Harper: 'Had an angel on my side' for pitch that struck face

Bryce Harper knows the results of being hit in the face by a pitch could have been different.

"Definitely had an angel on my side out there that night," the Philadelphia Phillies outfielder said Friday, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.

A 97-mph fastball from St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Genesis Cabrera struck Harper near his left eye and nose before ricocheting into his left arm Wednesday.

Harper was taken to a hospital, where a CT scan revealed he was OK, but he admitted the scary situation made him think about the "bigger things" in life.

“I was kind of emotional at the time," he said.

"A little upset about the situation that happened. And then a little emotional just because I was thinking about my kids, thinking about my wife. I think baseball kind of goes to the side, right? It kind of goes to the side in that situation, in that moment."

Harper missed Thursday's and Friday's games. He said a sore wrist from the ball's ricochet kept him out of action, not his face.

The 28-year-old was not in Saturday's starting lineup against the New York Mets.