Phillies’ Bryce Harper Says He Hopes to Return from Thumb Injury in September

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The face of the Philadelphia Phillies may be back for the final playoff push.

While Bryce Harper wouldn’t put a hard timetable on when he will return from the broken left thumb he suffered on June 25, he said he is hoping to come back by “September-ish,” per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

He had pins removed from the thumb Monday and is slowly starting a rehab process that includes hitting balls off a tee and light throwing.

That he is throwing is all the more notable because he also suffered a tear in his right UCL in May, which largely limited him to a designated hitter role before he suffered the thumb injury that required surgery.

“It’s kind of on the back burner for me,” Harper said of the elbow injury that may need surgery after the season. “I just want to get back in the lineup. I want to start hitting. I am not looking to get back to throwing as quickly as possible because I really want to hit, so maybe in the offseason I’ll start throwing more.”

Getting Harper back even as only a hitter would be a massive boost for the Phillies.

The 2021 National League MVP was slashing .318/.385/.599 with 25 home runs and 48 RBI in 64 games prior to the thumb injury and seemed well on his way to another excellent season.

The seven-time All-Star also led the league with a 1.044 OPS last season.

Having that type of presence in a lineup that also includes Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto for the final month could give Philadelphia the inside track on a wild-card spot.

It is just 0.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final spot, as of Thursday.