When you hear of Tommy John surgery, you think of pitchers. It is seldom a procedure done on position players. However on Wednesday according to Matt Snyder of CBS Sports, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper underwent the famous operation named after the four-time All-Star pitcher to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Harper had only played eight games in the outfield all season long, and was used as a designated hitter in Philadelphia this year since April 16.
When will Harper return?
The native of Las Vegas, Nevada is expected to be back around the time of the All-Star break. According to Snyder, position players do not need as much recovery time from Tommy John surgery as pitchers do. It was actually fortunate for Harper to have played as much as he did this past season as designated hitters were allowed in the National League.
2022 MLB statistics
Harper was an All-Star for the first time with the Phillies in 2022 after being an All-Star six times with the Washington Nationals in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 99 games this past season, Harper batted .286 with 18 home runs and 65 runs batted in. During 426 plate appearances, and 370 at bats, he scored 63 runs, and had 106 hits, 28 doubles, one triple, 11 stolen bases, 46 walks, 190 total bases, seven sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .364 and a slugging percentage of .514. Harper’s three-base hit came in a 7-3 Phillies win over the Colorado Rockies on April 27 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
World Series Appearance
For the first time in his career, Harper had the opportunity to play in a World Series in 2022. The Phillies lost in six games to the heavily-favoured Houston Astros. In the 2022 MLB postseason, Harper was extremely effective. In 63 at bats, he batted .349 with six home runs, 13 runs batted in, 12 runs scored, 22 hits, one stolen base, and an on base percentage of .414.
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