Tuesday or Wednesday.
That's when Bryce Harper should embark on the final leg of his journey back to the Phillies' starting lineup.
Sidelined since suffering a broken left thumb on June 25, Harper has been taking batting practice on the field at Citizens Bank Park for a week. He is scheduled to do so again Monday. After that, it'll be off to the minor leagues -- likely Triple A Lehigh Valley, according to manager Rob Thomson -- for some competitive at-bats.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Tuesday?
Wednesday?
It's in Harper's hands. It all depends on how he feels.
"I think anytime next week I can get out and play, we'll get out there and get going," Harper said. "I feel good. I'm getting a lot better. The more I hit, the more I use it, it's getting better. Yeah, I think we're happy where we're at right now. We'll just progress as we see fit."
MLB
Harper put his strength level at "85 to 90 percent" and he believes he can close the gap to 100 percent during his minor-league rehab stint. He would not put an estimate on how many at-bats he might need in the minors, but he said he won't return until he's confident he can produce every day in the majors.
"I don't want to come back and take any days off," he said. "Once I get back on a big league field, I want to get in and keep playing."
September 2 in San Francisco might be a good estimate for Harper's return to the Phillies' lineup. That would give him more than a week in the minors and that flexibility would be valuable if he needed a recovery day or two. The September 2 date would also coincide with the expansion of rosters from 26 to 28 so the Phillies' would not have to trim a player to accommodate Harper. Then again, if Harper feels like he's ready to go sooner than that, who's going to say no to that bat?
The important thing is it's almost showtime for the slugger.
Subscribe to Phillies Talk: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube
