The Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of a heated wild card race, but they’ll face an uphill climb trying to keep pace with some of the teams ahead of them. Scott Lauber reports that the Phillies will need to get by without their MVP designated hitter Bryce Harper who is expected to have surgery to repair his fractured thumb. According to Lauber, Harper is optimistic that he will be back in action before the season’s end.
Harper suffered the injury on Saturday, getting hit by a Blake Snell fastball against the San Diego Padres.
Several variables related to Bryce Harper's fractured thumb will go into how much time he winds up missing. But he is expected to have surgery and does plan to play again this season. Story @PhillyInquirer: https://t.co/eWWvCHJAS8
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) June 28, 2022
The six-time All-Star has been an integral part of the Phillies’ lineup and is above his career averages in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging percentage.
Expect a committee approach from the Phillies as they look to replace Harper’s production in the DH spot. That could mean fewer off-days for Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto as they look to pick up his slack.
The Phillies are off on Monday but are back in action Tuesday against the World Series Champion Atlanta Braves. For now, FanDuel Sportsbook has them priced as mid-range +4000 options on the World Series futures board.
