*Photo from Forbes*
One of the heroes of the Philadelphia Phillies playoff run is going to be out for a bit. Phillies OF Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John Surgery on Wednesday, according to an announcement by the Phillies.
Since Harper is not a pitcher, recovery from Tommy John Surgery isn't as long. The Phillies say the surgery was successful from Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Harper could resume hitting not long after the season starts, possibly in May. The Phillies said that they expect Harper back by the all star break, serving in a DH capacity. The possibility of Harper playing in the field again could come later in the season.
Harper was diagnosed with a torn UCL last May, and was limited to a DH only role for the Phillies for the remainder of the season. When the offseason began, he got the necessary attention on his UCL and what kind of surgery was needed, and he ultimately had Tommy John Surgery on Wednesday.
When Harper was sidelined for 52 games with a broken thumb, the Phillies had a rotating chorus of Darick Hall, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins, and Alec Bohm at DH. Hall had 30 games at DH, while the Phillies had originally planned for Castellanos and Schwarber to rotate at DH in 2022 with everyone healthy.
Last week, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that "In the back of our mind, there will be discussions of, 'What do we do if … ?' which may be nothing, because we’re in a situation that right now we’re looking at Harper coming back and DHing for some portion."
Harper was one of the best players in the Phillies run to the World Series in 2022, hitting .349 with a .414 on base percentage and .746 slugging percentage, hitting 6 home runs and driving in 13 runs, even with his torn UCL.
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