Harper Begins Ramping Up Activities as He Prepares for Philadelphia Phillies Return

Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper has taken light batting practice on the field.

Now he’s sliding, too.

Harper practiced sliding feet-first with athletic trainer Paul Buchheit looking on before Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.

“I’m not trying to just be the fastest guy coming back,” Harper told the Philadelphia Inquirer Friday. “That’s not what I want to do. I don’t want to just be the fastest. I want to be smart about it, too. I don’t want to be dumb. This isn’t just some rinky-dink surgery that I had. It’s a big-time surgery. I want to come back. But I want to do it smart.”

Harper’s return from Tommy John surgery still remains anywhere from mid-May to mid-July depending on you ask.

He also hopes to play some at first base with Rhys Hoskins lost for the season with a torn ACL and Darick Hall out following right thumb surgery.

“The way I am, if my body feels good, I’m going to keep pushing it,” Harper told the Inquirer. “I feel great right now. But it’s the moment that I don’t that we’re all sitting here going, ‘What did we do? Why did we do that?’ Just got to keep progressing, keep understanding that we need to check this off, check that off, keep going. And when I’m back, I’m back.”

Harper is clearly anxious to return. That’s great. He witnessed what it was like to win playoff games in Philadelphia. The sooner he returns, the sooner that process can begin again.

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