Bryce Harper, a professional baseball player, recently rejoined the Phillies team as their designated hitter after recovering from Tommy John surgery in just 160 days, the shortest recorded recovery for a professional baseball player. Harper, who is normally a right fielder, played first base, which requires less throwing ability than his previous position. This allowed him to return to the field quickly, even though he was not able to throw like he normally would.
Harper's return to first base allowed Kyle Schwarber, who had been playing in the outfield due to Harper's injuries, to return to his usual spot as a designated hitter. Schwarber, known for his poor defensive skills, benefited from Harper's return to first base. This change also led to the Phillies moving Brandon Marsh from center field to left field and bringing in rookie Johann Rojas to fill the center field spot.
The impact of Harper's return was not only seen in his personal performance, with his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage all improving since he started playing first base. It also had a significant impact on the Phillies' roster, with the team making changes to accommodate Harper's return and improve their overall performance.
1. Bryce Harper has been at first base a lot recently.
2. Harper underwent Tommy John's surgery on November 23rd of last year.
3. He rejoined the Phillies as their designated hitter in early May of this year, just 160 days after the surgery.
4. This is the shortest recorded recovery for a Tommy John surgery by a professional baseball player ever.
5. The act of swinging the bat alone doesn't put much stress on the elbow ligament.
6. Harper is normally a right fielder with a strong arm.
7. In 2021, he finished 24th out of 155 outfielders in terms of overall throwing velocity.
8. Harper returned to the Phillies lineup in early May but only as a designated hitter.
9. On July 21st, he made his first career start at first base.
10. Harper has graded out as a perfectly league average first baseman this year.
11. Kyle Schwarber, who has had to play the outfield due to Harper's injuries, started almost every game in left field when Harper was back but still DH.
12. Harper's ability to play first base has freed up the designated hitter spot, allowing Kyle Schwarber to be more valuable.
13. Harper has a 297 batting average, 416 on-base percentage, and 598 slugging since he started playing first base.