Harper has been relegated to designated hitter duties since he came back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and he hasn’t played the field since April 2022. The two-time NL MVP made one appearance at first base in 2018 during his final season with the Washington Nationals and suited up at the position once in 2021, but other than that, Harper has only played the outfield.
The 30-year-old made a stunning return to action in early May and with slugger Rhys Hoskins having suffered a torn ACL during spring training, reports swirled that Harper could be the club’s new first baseman.
When Harper eventually mans first, it’ll open up the DH spot, presumably for Kyle Schwarber. Though Schwarber’s is one of the most powerful bats in MLB, he is frequently a liability in left field.
Phillies fans can only hope that Harper adjusts quickly to the relatively new position, so Schwarber can become the permanent DH. If that’s the case, manager Rob Thomson could opt to put recently promoted speedster Johan Rojas in left field, start youngster Cristian Pache in the corner spot or form a platoon between the pair.
Perhaps as important as Harper’s ability to pick up his new task on the diamond is for him to get hot at the plate this summer. Since returning from the November 2022 procedure, the seven-time All-Star has posted a solid .290 batting average – but has recorded just three home runs and 23 RBIs over 210 at-bats.
Philadelphia (48-41) comes out of the All-Star break in third place in the NL East and 12 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves (60-29). The defending NL champions are right in the thick of the playoff race, though, as they’re in a virtual tie with the Milwaukee Brewers (49-42) and only 0.5 games back of the third wild card spot.
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