Philadelphia Phillies superstar and franchise cornerstone Bryce Harper has not played a game in almost two months due to injury. Now, however, he could return as soon as next week, and he is hitting absolute bombs during his rehab assignment.
In his first at-bat with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies Triple-A affiliate, Harper belted a long home run into the right field stands. He followed this one up with another in the eighth inning. Harper finished the day 2-3 with two home runs, two walks, and four RBIs for the IronPigs.
This is very promising for Bryce Harper and the Phillies, as the team could definitely use him for the final weeks of the season. The Phillies have been playing better since his injury. They currently hold a National League Wild Card spot and might be the best third-placed team in Major League Baseball.
Bryce Harper and the Phillies are searching for a Wild Card berth
At the beginning of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies appeared to be a lost cause. They struggled early and had terrible communication with former manager Joe Girardi. Since Girardi's release, the tides have turned, and the Phillies are now on the up-and-up.
The Phillies now have a record of 68-55, are 13 games over .500, and currently hold the second Wild Card spot. They are 10 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East, so the division might be somewhat out of reach. However, anything is possible when Bryce Harper returns to the team.
This team does not come without flaws. They have been notorious for their terrible defense all season. They could surely use Harper's glove in the outfield. This is not even to mention his bat; before injury, Bryce Harper was one of the hottest hitters in the MLB.
Although Harper has played just 64 games this season, they have been some of the best baseball he has played yet. Throughout these games, Harper was batting .318 and slugging just shy of .600 with a .985 OPS.
He also had 21 doubles and 15 home runs in just 242 at-bats with the Phillies. His efforts got him named to this year's All-Star Game despite being injured.
Although the Philadelphia Phillies are currently playing some good baseball, they could really use a boost. Bryce Harper will it as they fight to reach the playoffs for the first time in eleven seasons.