Philadelphia Phillies: Bryce Harper has pins removed, working towards return

As the focus surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies continues to be what they will do at the trade deadline, the team has received significant news about one of their own players. Reigning MVP Bryce Harper has passed a significant milestone in his recovery from the fractured left thumb that has sidelined him since June 25th. According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Harper had the pins in his thumb removed, signaling the beginning of the next stage of his rehab.

The Phillies have done a solid job staying afloat without Harper (while also missing Jean Segura), going 17-12 since the injury. That’s not to say that they need him back in a bad way; no player on their roster has been as impactful as Harper was during his 64 games this season. While players like Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and Alec Bohm have held down the fort, there is no replacement for Harper.

Before his injury on June 25th, Bryce Harper was in the discussion for the National League’s MVP award. Having won the very same award just last season, Harper was very much picking up where he left off before his trip to the IL. He’s certainly out of that race after the amount of time he’s missed, but the hope is he can continue some semblance of that success. For now, both the team and the fans can breathe easy knowing that progress is being made.

News of Bryce Harper having his pins removed provides a collective sigh of relief for both the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans.

Now that the pins are removed, Harper is set for the next phase of his recovery, ramping up towards setting up a hitting progression and working on throwing drills. While Harper will remain the team’s DH when he comes off the IL, a return to right field is still a possibility. Last week Harper spoke on his potential timeline to return to the outfield:

"“That’s another program I’d have to go through, a throwing program. Hopefully, be in right field by the end of the year, playing out there and being successful throwing a baseball.”"

Harper’s return is still some time away, unfortunately, but it is a relief to finally have the pins removed (for Harper more than anyone). It will likely be close to another month before Harper rejoins the team, but there is hope to be had now that he is one step closer.

In his 64 games this season, Bryce Harper hit .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs, 49 runs, and 9 stolen bases. That type of production cannot fairly be expected the second Harper returns, but between, he could certainly return to MVP shape by the playoffs. Frankly speaking, the Philadelphia Phillies will need him to.