Harper Homers Twice in First Rehab Game
Bryce Harper was back looking like his usual self Tuesday night.
The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder began a rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley, and it couldn’t have started any better for the 29-year-old slugger. He served as the DH and went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs on the night.
In total, Harper reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances, slugging two balls over the outfield fence while earning another two walks, as well.
The first of Harper’s two home runs came during the first inning, where he crushed a solo shot to centre field, trimming his club’s deficit to 3-1.
Then, during his final at-bat of the contest, Harper connected on a three-run blast to the opposite field in the eighth inning, extending the IronPigs’ lead to 9-5.
Harper’s two home runs helped spark his team to a 10-5 victory over the Gwinnett Stripers – Atlanta’s triple-A affiliate. It was truly a perfect return for the left-handed slugger.
The 6-foot-3 outfielder, who’s currently on the 60-day injured list, hasn’t played with the Phillies since June 25 due to a fractured thumb. He was hit on the hand by a 97.2 m.p.h. fastball from San Diego’s Blake Snell, forcing him to miss the last two months.
A few days later, the former first overall selection from 2010 underwent surgery to repair his broken thumb, sidelining him for the next six to eight weeks.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first serious injury that Harper experienced this season. The veteran lefty tore his UCL while making a throw from the outfield in April, however, he remained in the lineup as an everyday DH.
Earlier this week, manager Rob Thomson told reports that Harper is scheduled to play every day through Saturday, with Sunday serving as an off day. The seven-time All-Star could return from the IL as early as Monday.
That’d be a massive boost to the Phillies’ lineup ahead of a pivotal stretch run. Harper has been a crucial part of the franchise’s identity since signing his 13-year, $330-million contract in 2019.
The two-time Silver Slugger was enjoying a phenomenal performance prior to landing on the IL, hitting .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs across 64 games. He had also posted a 167 wRC+ score and a 2.7 fWAR rating.
Philadelphia has desperately missed Harper’s presence within the middle of its batting order. Upon his return, even as a primary DH, he’ll bring renewed life to the current group headlined by Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Castellanos.
At 68-55, the Phillies are currently one game up on the Padres for the second wild-card seed in the NL, although the race is far from finished. The Milwaukee Brewers remain on the outside looking in as they trail the final wild-card position by just 1.5 games.
With Harper likely to return in the coming days, the two-time MVP will soon be able to help his team try to secure a post-season spot down the stretch.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Ian D’Andrea. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.