WATCH: Bryce Harper Hits Walk-Off Double in Triple-A Lehigh Valley Game
Philadelphia Phillies' star outfielder Bryce Harper is back. Well, sort of.
In the second game of his rehab assignment with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, Harper smacked a walk-off double.
With runners on first and second, down 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Harper delivered in the clutch. His bases-clearing double gave the IronPigs the win. The IronPigs are now 2-0 this season when Bryce Harper plays for them.
Harper went 3-for-5 with two RBI Wednesday night.
Tuesday night, Harper hit two home runs in three at bats, plating home four runs.
He's batting .625 with an other-wordly 2.325 OPS in two games at the Triple-A level this year.
Harper landed on the Injured List after being struck by a 97-mph errant fastball from Blake Snell. The pitch fractured the outfielder's left thumb. Snell and Harper have known each other since their youth baseball days, despite living over a thousand miles away from each other.
Harper began a rehab assignment in Lehigh Valley Tuesday. The Phillies plan for him to play through the remainder of the week and take Sunday off, with the goal of having Harper rejoin the big league club Monday night in Arizona, if all goes according to plan.
Needless to say, so far so good.
Prior to his injury, the reigning National League MVP was having another MVP-caliber first half, slashing .318/.385/.985 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI, mostly filling the team’s designated hitter spot.
It remains unclear whether Harper will play outfield or DH when he returns to the Phillies. Perhaps the Phillies ease him back in to action as the Atlanta Braves did earlier this year with Ronald Acuña Jr., when he returned from a torn ACL. Acuña played both outfield and DH in his return, before returning to his full-time spot in the outfield. I'd expect something similar for Harper, if he doesn't DH full-time.
