Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber to kick off Phillies' summer this week
Bryce Harper is back in Philadelphia, returning triumphantly last Tuesday, and the timing couldn't be better. The Philadelphia Phillies (16-19) are off to a slow start and desperately need their MVP outfielder to close the gap in the NL East.
Harper underwent Tommy John surgery in November and wasn't expected to return to the club until the all-star break. His early return was greeted with extended applause in Harper's first home game back on Friday. After Harper led the Phillies to a win over Boston Sunday, the excitement is starting to catch on. With a week of favorable matchups ahead, it could lead to an early summer winning streak.
The perennial all-star has been on a tear since returning. In his five games back, Harper is hitting .368/.455/1.034 with six runs and a home run. Watch his first dinger of the season here.
It is always hard to tell how Tommy John surgery will affect a player. Sometimes it's an improvement, other times, it's a career-ender. It's too early to say how well the 30-year-old Harper will bounce back, but all indications are positive.
While the Phillies are the underdog for the upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays (21-14), they may be poised to turn around their season this week. The Phillies take on Alex Manoah for the first of two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, while Kevin Gausman pitches Tuesday. Both are right-handed pitchers, The Phillies are hitting .279 against right-handed pitchers (2nd in the MLB), and Harper is at .545 on the season vs. righties.
Harper's return is moving Kyle Schwarber out of the leadoff spot in the line-up. This should improve Schwarber's power output and awaken him from his slump. The Phillies will go to the thin air of Colorado on Friday for three games against the Rockies (14-21). Both Schwarber and Harper should pile up several home runs in that series.
This week could spark the turnaround Phillies fans have been waiting for. It wouldn't surprise me to see them at .500 by Sunday. With their stars back, they should start to look more like the World Series-caliber team they were last year.
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