Phillies' Bryce Harper to Be Activated from IL Friday After Thumb Injury Recovery

The Philadelphia Phillies will activate Bryce Harper on Friday, manager Rob Thomson told reporters.

Harper hasn't played since the Phillies' 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres on June 25, when he fractured his left thumb after getting hit by a pitch.

The two-time National League MVP has looked great so far in his short rehab assignment with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He's 5-for-8 with two home runs and six RBI in two appearances.

Whereas the Phillies were heavily dependent on Harper's performance at the plate down the stretch of the 2021 season, their success without him over the last two months is a sign of how much they've improved. Philly has a two-game cushion on the San Diego Padres for the second NL wild-card spot, and Jon Morosi of MLB Network noted the team is 31-20 since Harper's injury.

That's not to diminish Harper's value. Through 64 appearances, he has 15 home runs and a .318/.385/.599 slash line. Despite having missed so much time, he's second among Phillies position players in WAR (2.7), per FanGraphs.