Watch: Bryce Harper impresses in batting practice before home opener

The biggest swings at Citizens Bank Park Friday came hours before the Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Cincinnati Reds for their home opener.

Prior to the Phillies-Reds tilt, Bryce Harper took batting practice on the field, and the two-time National League MVP looked impressive:

Harper had Tommy John surgery on Nov. 23, so he’s less than five months removed from the procedure. And it wasn’t lost on his manager how remarkable it is for him to already be hitting this well.

“I was out here, it was great,” Rob Thomson said before Friday’s game. “He can make a ballpark look small, I’ll tell you. And he was doing that today. And he did yesterday too.”

At the time that Harper had the surgery, the Phillies issued a conservative timeline of the July 10 All-Star Break as when the seven-time All-Star could return by as a DH. While the Phillies haven’t formally changed that timeline, the fact that Harper wasn’t placed on the 60-day injured list before the season — which only would have put him out until May 29 — is telling that things are trending in a positive direction.

The biggest hurdle for Harper to clear to return as a DH is being permitted to slide, which whether you go head first or feet first puts pressure on the elbow. Thomson said Friday that there isn’t yet a timeline on when Harper will be given the green light to slide.

And while there is hope that Harper could return to right field late in 2023, there isn’t yet a plan on when he will begin to build up as a thrower.

“Not at this point,” Thomson said. “First things first, we gotta get him to slide and get him into games [as a hitter] and then figure the other part out.”

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