Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper is on track to potentially have one of the fastest recovery times for Tommy John surgery ever.
Harper — who underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow on Nov. 23, 2022 — could return by May 5, against the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park if he’s cleared by his doctor, The Athletic reported on Friday.
The seven-time All-Star has a doctor’s appointment scheduled at the beginning of May in Los Angeles when the Phillies are there for the back half of a six-game road trip.
“If we get clearance from the doctor, then we’ll see when he can start DHing,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday. “But it shouldn’t be too far after that.
“I think what the plan really is that we cover everything that we need to cover prior to that,” Thomson added. “And then we talk to the doctor and figure out when it’s the best time to start DHing.”
If Harper, who bats lefty, were to return to the lineup after Philadelphia’s West Coast road trip, it will be 163 days since he underwent Tommy John surgery — and he would do so without playing in any minor-league rehab games.
According to the outlet, team sources said the Phillies are operating as if this is a plausible scenario.
“It doesn’t look like he’s going to do a rehab assignment,” Thomson said. “We’ve got all the stuff that we’re doing here — we’re bringing in pitchers to simulate at-bats, we’ve got this new projection machine downstairs that you can put any pitcher on the planet on video and replicate his stuff — so he can get at-bats down there. So we think, as far as DHing is concerned, we’re covering all the bases.”
A 2018 study of position players who underwent Tommy John surgery published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found that the mean time for a player to return to his prior professional level was 382 days, or 12 and a half months, The Athletic mentioned — which is more than twice as long as Harper’s projected return.
Former second baseman Tony Womack had the quickest return time in the majors at 182 days in 2004.
The study separated position players into three categories: catcher, infielder and outfielder.
There was no specific designation for a player returning only as a DH, which Harper is reportedly doing.
Shohei Ohtani returned to the Angels as a DH 218 days after his Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Although team officials have reportedly remained open-minded about Harper’s return date, they have been surprised at the pace of his rehab.
“We’re encouraged by his progress,” Thomson said. “He’s coming along.”
Harper was expected to return around the All-Star break, only in his designate hitter role, in order to ease him back into the lineup.
The 2023 MLB All-Star Break will be from July 10 to July 13, with the All-Star Game taking place in T-Mobile Park, home of the Mariners on July 11.
Harper will see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an orthopedist in Los Angeles, who performed the surgery on him — and reportedly is the doctor of choice for Harper’s agent, Scott Boras.
Harper, who is fully cleared to swing without restrictions, took batting practice on the field for the first time on April 5 at Yankee Stadium.
He played catch from 60 feet Thursday for the first time.
Harper has reportedly felt soreness as he’s increased activity, but nothing that has led to any setbacks.
Although Harper is taking time to learn first base, the outlet says his focus has been on hitting because he is clear to swing.
There is not yet indication of a time for Harper to fully return to the field.
Stan Conte, one of the authors of the study, told The Athletic a best-case scenario for a position player to return to competitive action, strictly as a designated hitter following Tommy John surgery, is normally six months — and nine to 11 months to play the field at pre-surgery level.
