Bryce Harper has been cleared to return to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Harper is expected to be in the Phillies lineup Tuesday in Los Angeles, just 159 days after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Harper, to his credit, has done everything in his power to make his recovery happen this quickly — working diligently to surpass every checkpoint throughout the offseason. Initial expectations were that he would be out at least until July, but the offseason progress was so positive the Phillies opted not to place him on the 60-day disabled list when spring training began.
Instead, they left the possibility open. Harper’s return from TJ surgery is the quickest the sport has ever seen.
It is still undetermined when Harper will be cleared to play the field. He has reportedly been working out at first base, both an effort to get him back on the field quicker and fill the hole left by Rhys Hoskins’ season-ending ACL tear.
Initial thought was that Harper could be given the go-ahead to play right field by the end of the season.
Not only is the timeline for Harper’s return impressive, but he’s also directly re-joining the Phillies lineup. Harper is not going on a rehab assignment first, and missed all of spring training.
There likely will be some rust to shake off as he gets his timing back, but his presence is certainly a welcome sight in the Phillies’ lineup.
