BY GEORGE DICKIE
As the Philadelphia Phillies continue their drive for
a Wild Card berth, they'll need all hands on deck –
including the recuperating hand of their best hitter.
Indeed, a Bryce Harper at full power would be a boon to
the Phils' hopes making the playoffs but his availability this
season has been a hit-or-miss proposition.
Back in April, he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his
right elbow making a throw from right field, an injury that
forced a move to designated hitter. He filled that role until
late June, when a pitch from the San Diego Padres' Blake
Snell broke his left thumb and sent him to the injured list
for more than two months.
Before going on the IL, the two-time National League
MVP was his usual menacing self, batting .318 with 15
home runs, 48 RBIs, a .385 on base percentage and a
.985 OPS. His robust performance, however, didn't keep
the Phils from languishing
around the .500 mark in
the season's first two-plus
months, well behind the
New York Mets and Atlanta
Braves in the NL East.
Harper's Phillies can be
seen in action Thursday,
Sept. 22, when they open
a four-game home series
against the Braves in a
regional contest airing on
Fox.
With Harper back, Phillies
eye October baseball
• FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19 - 25, 2022 •
Raymond Lee stars
in NBC's new version
of "Quantum Leap,"
premiering Monday.
YOUR WEEKLY GUIDE TO TV ENTERTAINMENT
