Bryce Harper defied the laws of Tommy John surgery.
The 30-year-old slugger made his return to the Phillies in their 13-1 loss against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium just 160 days after his Nov. 23 procedure to repair his right elbow. His recovery is believed to be the quickest for a position player — Tony Womack, who returned 182 days after the surgery in 2003, was the previous record holder.
The original timeline had Harper slated for a return around July, however, against all odds, Harper expected to be back this early.
“I kind of looked at this series in the offseason, to put my head where I needed to be,” Harper told reporters Monday. “Understanding that I need to take it one day at a time, understanding that we can have setbacks even if you feel great. But, I wanted to work toward something…
“We’re healed to where I need to be and we’re just going to play the game smart, play it the right way. Understanding that I help my team when I’m on the field, not when I’m off the field…I know how it felt last year hitting through pain. I knew it was going to be a little bit different because I had surgery, so I couldn’t really sit there and say, ‘Oh, it’s going to feel the same.’ But it definitely gave me a sense of how I’m going to feel when I play.”
The two-time NL MVP went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his season debut.
“I had some pretty good pitches to hit in that second at-bat, and then that last at-bat as well, that I should’ve had better swings on,” Harper said. “The swing feels good. I don’t want to change that.
“I feel like my timing is pretty good. It’s pitch selection for me right now. It’ll get better.”
Harper tore his UCL while making a throw from the outfield in April of 2022. Instead of opting for surgery to end his season, he remained with the team exclusively as the designated hitter. Harper slashed .286/.364/.514 with 18 homers and 65 RBI in 99 games last season leading the Phillies to the World Series — where they fell to the Houston Astros in six games.
As of right now, there is no set timetable to return to the outfield, or the field in general. Harper has been taking groundballs at first base and the Phillies have acknowledged the position change as a real possibility as the club has a vacancy left by Rhys Hoskins who tore his ACL in a spring training game.
“He looked fine [at first base]. [Bobby Dickerson’s] a great coach,” manager Rob Thomson said on April 13. “Guys take to him like this. Bryce puts a lot of work in. He’s got as good as a chance at anybody to do it. He wants to do it…
“I don’t have a sense of [when he will play the field]. I have never really gone through this before in all my years. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take him to play the outfield or how long, if he plays first base, it will take.”
The seven-time All-Star, who signed a 13-year, $330 million contract prior to the 2019 season, is now underway for his fifth season in Philadelphia.