After sustaining a broken left thumb on June 25, Bryce Harper makes his much-anticipated return to the Phillies on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Philadelphia star was injured after he was hit by San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell. He was placed on the injured list, and on Tuesday, Harper began his rehab, and he looked back to form. In his first at-bat, he hit a home run, which was one of two that night. In his follow-up rehab game Wednesday, Harper hit a walk-off double to lead Triple-A Lehigh to a win.
The two-time National League MVP will bat cleanup Friday and will hope to give the Phillies a push for a deep postseason run, along with NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber and ace Aaron Nola.
Of course, his two rehab games will create even more hype for Harper, and there is betting action that can be had. Below are three props to consider, odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Over 0.5 home runs +220
Over 1.5 hits +155
Over 0.5 doubles +285
A $100 bet on each of these props would pay out $330, $255 and $385, respectively, and would be based on Harper coming out of the gate continuing his hot streak. Before being placed on the injured list, Harper played 64 games. The 29-year-old batted .318 with a .985 OPS. He hit 15 home runs and collected 48 RBIs, and those numbers were good enough for Harper to be named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career.
However, the Phillies star has earned himself his fair share of hate due to him leaving the Washington Nationals to sign a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia. His confident -- or cocky, depending on your point of view -- has also rubbed some the wrong way. So below are bets to consider for those wishing to fade Harper's return game.
Under 1.5 total bases +110
Under 0.5 runs scored +140
A $100 bet on those props would pay out $220 and $240, respectively.
How Harper performs Friday will be dependent on Pirates starting pitcher Bryse Wilson. But Phillies fans are sure to be excited as their lineup will feature their top hitters in Harper, Schwarber Rhys Hoskins, Nick Castellanos and Jean Segura.
