The Philadelphia Phillies don't want fans to think the team is merely running it back after a second straight playoff disappointment in October. But the team is unlikely to make many big changes.
After welcoming back Kyle Schwarber with a $150 million contract, the Phillies are set to have most of their veteran stars return. And if they want to secure another World Series title, they'll have to hope for stronger seasons from those stars.
In an effort to keep himself healthy and performing at an elite level, franchise slugger Bryce Harper recently shared that he underwent an unusual blood treatment.
"EBOO is a procedure in which 1/3 of your blood is drawn from your body, passed through a filtration and ozonation device, and then returned to your bloodstream," Harper wrote in a post on Instagram, which included a video of himself receiving the procedure. "Circulates your blood outside your body. Exposes the blood to ozone (O₃) and will oxygenate or filter the blood before returning it to you."
EBOO or "Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation" is an unusual and relatively uncommon procedure. The procedure involves drawing out a significant amount of blood, treating it with a laser and ozone process and then recirculating it back into the body.
Harper's post has received more than 64,000 likes, but it has also drawn some scrutiny.
"Safety concerns persist, including a case of neurological complications after intravenous ozone that was published in the 'Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine' earlier this year," Denny Alfonso reported for The Athletic. "The study highlighted risks of air bubbles leading to a blocked vein or artery, and the dangers of inhaling ozone, which can damage the lungs."
According to Alfonos, following Harper's procedure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that it "has not approved any medical devices for EBOO therapy" and the report also noted that FDA regulations refer to ozone as "a toxic gas with no known useful medical application."
In the U.S., EBOO procedures are only performed in private clinics.
But the FDA's concerns are unlikely to convince Harper that the procedure won't be beneficial. He has previously praised the benefits of other alternative health solutions, like drinking raw milk.
And he is likely looking far and wide for practices that can maintain his health and improve his production on the field. This past season, he slashed .261/.347/.487 -- an impressive line for any 33-year-old, but one that marked his worst campaign in years.
As Harper and the Phillies look to make a deeper playoff run next year, the star is going to be willing to pursue some unconventional health solutions.