2 min read • March 23, 2023
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The 2023 season is rapidly approaching with the all major league teams including the Philadelphia Phillies making final touches to their 40-man roster.
A move the Phillies won’t be making is placing superstar outfielder Bryce Harper on the 60-day IL, instead opting to hold Harper on the main roster for the time being while he recovers from offseason Tommy John surgery.
Although baseball roster moves have many hidden meanings and motives behind each one this move by the Phillies falls in line with what our panel of Pro Baseball Docs have been saying all offseason - Harper can return ahead of the initial July All-star break return timeline reported post-surgery.
This allows the Phillies to keep all options open, something president of baseball operations Dave Dambrowski expressed on Philly sports radio earlier this week. The team could still place him on the 10-day IL, but this is a great indication he will be ready before May 29.
The reasoning he can return even earlier is the rather new DH rule that positions Harper to not throw in the field. High velocity throws will be something to look forward to in the 2024 season as the focus will be on returning to the line-up through his bat.
Last season's the initial tear happened early on (April 11) but Harper played through the issue all year as the designated hitter, including a deep run into the postseason. The two time NL MVP was able to bat .286 with 18 HRs before turning it up in the postseason with 6 HRs and 17 RBIs in just 17 games.
Just recently Harper was seen progressing by swinging off a tee, a key step in the recovery our panel of doctors laid out post-surgery.
To bloat the optimism, past podcast guest and The Athletic writer Jayson Stark said Harper is following the same recovery trajectory as Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani did after the 2018 season, leaving a June 29 return date as a viable possibility.
Although the exact date is not known, news of no long-term IL stint to start the year spells a likely return before the break and shares our optimism the star can have a successful offensive season when he does return to the diamond.
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Dave Dombrowski says the Phillies will not put Bryce Harper on the emergency injury list, as they are now “hopeful” he can return to the lineup before May 29th.
