Bryce Harper was able to hit before the game with his Philadelphia Phillies teammates on Friday, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Harper has been out all season due to undergoing Tommy John Surgery. It was initially assumed that he wouldn’t be able to return until maybe the All-Star break, but that seems to have changed, as now it looks like he could return at some point in May.
Harper will retake batting practice Sunday and then has a follow-up appointment with his doctor to determine if he can return to game action. When Harper returns is still a work in progress. We know it won’t be in the field as he still can’t throw, so he would be a designated hitter only. If the Phillies decide he doesn’t need a rehab stint, perhaps Harper will return as soon as next weekend. That would be the optimistic timetable.
On Saturday, the Astros will have Cristian Javier starting versus Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros are +158 (-1.5) on the run line and -126 on the moneyline, with an over/under of 7.5, over (-106), and under (-114).
You can find the lines and props for this game and all others on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
