Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow) will have UCL surgery on his right elbow next Wednesday. It's still unknown if it will be Tommy John surgery or not, so Harper's timetable for a return next year is still up in the air. Tommy John surgery would require a longer rehab, but it wouldn't mean that Harper would be lost for the entire 2023 season. Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani had TJ surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, and returned to serve as the designated hitter on May 7, 2019. The 30-year-old slugger was limited to DH duties all year after initially hurting his elbow in April, but it didn't slow him down at all at the plate. The seven-time All-Star remained a force with the lumber, slashing .286/.364/.514 with an .877 OPS, 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 63 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 99 regular season games. Harper also missed valuable time with a fractured thumb.

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the GM meetings this week that outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow) will have his torn right UCL evaluated on Monday. Harper being able to avoid surgery seems unlikely, and he could also end up needing Tommy John surgery, but we won't know until early next week. Last year's MVP suffered the injury in mid-April and had to serve as the designated hitter the rest of the season. If doctors recommend fully Tommy John surgery, Harper will most likely not be ready for the start of the 2023 season, which would significantly impact his fantasy value in drafts. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger was a beast in the postseason to help get the Phillies to the World Series, and he hit .286/.364/.514 with an .877 OPS, 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 63 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in his 370 regular season at-bats.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow), who suffered a tear in the UCL in his right elbow in April, is expected to undergo evaluation this week to determine how much healing has occurred in his ligament since he first suffered the injury. The results of his evaluation will determine whether he needs surgery to complete the healing. If he needs surgery, it will impact his readiness for next season, but there are different surgical options, each with different timetables for recovery. Harper could have a procedure called an internal brace. Fully Tommy John surgery would require a longer recovery time, but it wouldn't eliminate the possibility of Harper playing early in 2023 since he's not a pitcher. Last year's National League MVP could still serve as the designated hitter, much like he did in 2022.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper set the tone for Tuesday's World Series Game 3 when he hit a two-run home run off of Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. in the bottom of the first inning. While the Phillies would hit four more homers, Harper's was the only one the team would need as the Astros couldn't push a run across all night. Harper now has six homers, 13 RBI, and a 1.232 OPS in a charmed postseason.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series on Sunday after he hit the go-ahead, game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning to lead Philly to the 4-1 series win over the San Diego Padres. Harper went 1-for-3 in the game with the two-run home run in Game 5 and finished the series 8-for-20 with three doubles, two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. In the postseason as a whole so far in 2022, last year's NL MVP is hitting a blistering .419/.444/.907 with a .1351 OPS, five home runs, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored in 11 games played. Harper is as hot as they come right now, and Phillies fans hope he can stay hot at the plate against the red-hot Houston Astros in the World Series.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper has been out of control at the plate all postseason, and he continued that trend on Saturday night in NLCS Game 4. Harper went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. He now has ten extra-base hits and a 1.311 OPS in 41 plate appearances. Should Philadelphia hold on to win this series, it's almost a foregone conclusion that Harper will be named the Most Valuable Player. He will look to stay hot against Padres starter Yu Darvish in Game 5.

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper provided what would be the only needed run in Tuesday's National League Championship Series Game 1 2-0 win over the Padres, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run. He got the Phillies on the board in the fourth inning, taking a Yu Darvish fastball a few rows back into the left-field seats. The 30-year-old has been a team leader with the bat this postseason, batting .407 with four HR and seven RBI in 27 at-bats.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup in Game 1 of the National League Wild-Card Series on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals and left-hander Jose Quintana. Against southpaws in 2022, Harper hit .256/.348/.427 with only three of his 18 home runs while driving in 17 runs in 135 plate appearances against them. The 29-year-old star missed plenty of time this year due to a fractured finger, but he hit a strong .286/.364/.514 with an .877 OPS, 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 63 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 370 at-bats for the Phillies when he was on the field.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper isn't in the lineup on Wednesday for a matchup with the Houston Astros and left-handed starter Framber Valdez. Harper is batting .286 with a .364 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, and 11 stolen bases in 426 plate appearances for the Phillies this season. Instead, J.T. Realmuto will step in as the team's designated hitter and bat third. Kyle Schwarber, Matt Vierling, and Nick Castellanos will start from left to right in the outfield against Valdez and the Astros.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) will be activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday, according to interim manager Rob Thomson. Harper is taking the day off on Thursday but should be back in the team's starting lineup for the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. In his two games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on his minor league rehab assignment, Harper went 5-for-8 with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI and three runs scored. The 29-year-old is expected to return as the team's primary designated hitter, and he should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups immediately. Harper will be returning to a strong .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored and nine stolen bases.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (thumb) went 2-for-3 with two home runs, four RBI, an additional run scored, and two walks in Tuesday's rehab game at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He homered in his first at-bat in his first game back and later launched a three-run shot in the eighth inning for his second long ball of the game. The 29-year-old showed no signs of rust in his first game back after undergoing surgery on his left thumb in late June. Before landing on the injured list, Harper slashed .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs, and nine stolen bases over 275 plate appearances in 64 games. Barring any setbacks, Harper is on track to return to the Phillies lineup next week.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday night. Harper is scheduled to play through Saturday and then take Sunday off. It puts him on track to return next Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it will obviously depend on how he feels after playing in minor league games this week. Fantasy managers are getting closer to having the 29-year-old back in their starting lineups next week. Last year's National League MVP had surgery to fix a fractured left thumb, and he's also still dealing with a UCL sprain in his right elbow, so he may remain the designated hitter for the rest of the season. Harper is a no-brainer must-start in fantasy leagues when he's healthy.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) is on track to begin a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley either on Tuesday or Wednesday. He estimated that his thumb mobility is 85 to 90 percent back and the strength is there. Harper wants to get enough at-bats in the minors to be able to return to the majors without taking any days off. He was recently moved to the 60-day injured list, but that won't affect his timetable for a return, which could be as early as Sept. 1. The 29-year-old is likely to return as the team's full-time designated hitter, and he'll be a no-doubt must-start in fantasy when he's back. Harper was hitting .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored and nine stolen bases before fracturing his thumb.

The Philadelphia Phillies moved outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room for outfielder Bradley Zimmer, who was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Harper is recovering from a fractured left thumb after undergoing surgery in late June, but his timetable hasn't changed at all. He's also recovering from a torn ligament in his right elbow, but the 29-year-old is fully expected to make it back before the end of the regular season next month. There's a chance that Harper could begin a minor league rehab assignment at some point next week. Fantasy managers need to keep last year's National League MVP stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) cleared a major hurdle in his injury recovery on Monday. He took a total of 60 swings while facing live pitching and a pitching machine. It was the first time he'd taken batting practice since he underwent thumb surgery. According to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Harper is expected to go through the same batting practice session on Wednesday. After that, he could begin a rehab assignment next week.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) is taking batting practice on Monday. It's the first time that Harper has taken batting practice since having surgery to fix his fractured left thumb, so it's a significant step for last year's National League MVP. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger is getting closer to a minor league rehab assignment, but the Phillies might want to see him take batting practice again before sending him to the farm for live action. Harper has also been dealing with a nagging right elbow injury for most of 2022 that limited him to designated-hitter duties in the first half of the season. It remains to be seen if he'll play the field again this year, but he plans on returning in the second half. Harper was hitting a strong .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS, 15 homers, 48 RBI, 49 runs and nine stolen bases in 242 at-bats before his thumb injury.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (thumb, elbow) isn't ready to face live pitching yet because he hasn't regained as much flexibility in his surgically repaired thumb. The Phillies are also cutting back on Harper's throwing program because of some "stiffness" in his arm. However, manager Rob Thomson still thinks Harper will return this season. "No doubt about it," Thomson said. There remains no timetable for the 29-year-old to return to the big leagues, but fantasy managers need to keep last year's National League MVP stashed in all formats. The seven-time All-Star was hitting .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 64 games before fracturing his thumb.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb) gave a loose timetable for his return on Thursday. "We're still on the same timeline of September-ish and come back when I'm ready and able to come back," Harper said. It's not much of an update, but before Thursday, he had refused to put any sort of potential timetable on his return from a fractured thumb that required surgery in late June. The 29-year-old had the pins removed from his left thumb on Monday and will begin ramping up his baseball activities. Harper will likely need to go on a minor league rehab assignment at some point as well, so fantasy managers need to remain patient. He's been great when on the field in 2022, hitting .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 242 at-bats.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow, thumb), who had the pins removed from his surgically repaired left thumb on Monday, has begun a throwing program, interim manager Rob Thomson said on Wednesday. Harper is not only attempting to return again this season, but also perhaps play right field. Thomson said Harper has taken swings without hitting a ball, has done a few swings off a tee and played light catch from around 55 to 60 feet. Harper was relegated to a full-time designated hitter role in mid-April until he broke his thumb on June 25. Fantasy managers could care less if Harper returns to right field, but he needs to remain stashed in all fantasy leagues. Despite his elbow injury, Harper was hitting a cool .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored and nine stolen bases before breaking his thumb.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (thumb) had the pins removed from his thumb on Monday and will now be ready to begin to ramp up activities in the near future. Harper has been on the injured list since fracturing his thumb near the end of June when he was hit by a pitch. He is still likely several weeks away from being able to return to the Phillies, but the pins coming out on Monday are at least a step in the right direction. Harper is hitting .318 with 15 homers, 49 runs, 48 RBI, and nine steals in 2022.