It was another big night in the Lehigh Valley for rehabbing Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper.
Harper went 3-for-5 with two doubles, including a walk-off game winner, and two RBIs for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Through two rehab games, Harper is slashing .625/.700/1.625 with two homers, two doubles, and six RBIs.
Harper is expected to rehab with the ‘Pigs through the weekend but given his seeming lack of “rust” will that change the timeline?
Simple answer, maybe. The ball is in Harper’s court.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson confirmed he will have a conversation with Harper on Thursday to further gauge the status of the sluggers rehab. Harper seemed ready to stick to the initial plan of playing through the weekend.
Perhaps Harper’s mindset has changed.
Harper is set to come off of the 60-day injured list on Thursday and he would be eligible to rejoin the team on Friday. The Phillies have a +2.0 game lead over San Diego for the second National League Wild Card spot heading into Thursday’s finale against the Reds.
(A version of this article first appeared on Section 247 Sports, reprinted with permission)