Phillies All-Star Slugger Could Be Grounded For Some Time Due To Injured Elbow

Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies already missed some games this MLB season due to an early-season injury he incurred while making a throw.

Now, it appears the seven-time All-Star will be missing time, with reports that he is set to undergo surgery next week to repair an ulnar collateral ligament.

Dave Dombrowski—the Phillies' president of baseball operations—announced on Wednesday, November 16 that Harper will be undergoing the medical procedure according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

It was in May when Harper suffered the setback as he sustained a small tear in his UCL and was forced to stop playing the field.

The 30-year-old right fielder ended up spending the rest of the season in the DH role.

Furthermore, the team is also unsure if Harper would need to undergo Tommy John surgery.

It normally takes 12 to 18 months to recover from Tommy John, a standard timeframe that pitchers usually need.

Players who have dealt with the same case include Shohei Ohtani.

Assuming that Harper does not need to undergo Tommy John surgery, the All-Star right fielder could be back by either May or June 2023.

"We have no prognosis, really, until he goes into the elbow and takes a look at it," Dombrowski about the case of Harper in a report by Fox Sports. "The anticipation is something will happen that I think will slow him down for the season, but we'll know more next week."

Despite his struggles, Harper went 18-of-43 with five home runs over the first three rounds in the 2022 MLB playoffs.

He was also a key figure in the Phillies' comeback win in Game 1 of the World Series and also hit a home run when Philadelphia won Game 3.

Harper registered a .286 batting average and 18 home runs in just 99 games during the 2022 regular season.

"You don't ever want to lose Bryce, you really don't," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "While we will be missing him, and looking forward to getting him back, it'll give somebody else an opportunity."