Phillies' Bryce Harper Says He'll Return from Thumb Injury; No Timetable Provided

Bryce Harper plans to return from his thumb injury at some point in 2022, although he is unsure of his timetable, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

"I will be back at some point, in some capacity," Harper told reporters.

The 29-year-old suffered a fractured thumb when he was hit by a pitch on June 25. He underwent successful surgery a few days later with doctors estimating a six-to-eight week recovery, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Prior to the injury, Harper was hitting .318 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 64 games. He has spent limited time in the outfield after suffering a torn UCL, but he was a finalist to be the National League's All-Star starter at designated hitter.

The offensive production builds off an impressive 2021 campaign where he won his second-career MVP award. He finished the year with a .309 batting average and 35 home runs, leading the league with a 1.044 OPS.

Harper wasn't able to get the Phillies to the playoffs last year as the squad finished just 82-80. However, the team remains in the hunt in 2022 with a 42-38 record entering Tuesday, just one game back for the third wild-card spot.

Losing the team's best hitter for about two months certainly won't help Philadelphia's chances, but getting him back before the end of the season could give the squad a major boost.

It will be up to Rhys Hoskins, Kyle Schwarber and the rest of the lineup to pick up the slack until Harper returns to full strength.