Bryce Harper Had Tommy John Surgery; Could Rejoin Phillies as DH by All-Star Break

The anchor is expected to return to the lineup by the middle of the year.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery, the team said that he could return to the lineup as the designated hitter by the All-Star break in three years.

Philadelphia Phillies @Phillies

The prognosis is for Bryce to be returning as the designated hitter by the All-Star break of 2023 with a possible return to play right field towards the end of the regular season.

According to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the procedure went very well, and thatHarper could possibly return to hitting competitively by mid- May.

The president of baseball operations told reporters that the team wouldn't know if Tommy John would be needed until they got in there.

While the Tommy John procedure isn't the best update from Philadelphia's perspective, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com pointed out fans shouldn't be overly concerned since Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani underwent the surgery in October of last year

Injuries have been an unfortunate reality forHarper in recent times.

He had a broken thumb that kept him out of action for a while. He was able to play the designated hitter during the run to the World Series.

He's one of the best players when he's healthy.

There are seven All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers and an NLCSMVP on the resume of the Washington Nationals' outfielder.

IfHarper isn't back in the middle of the lineup by May, it will be difficult for the Phils to compete at the same level.