Bryce Harper takes another massive step in rehab from Tommy John surgery

Not long ago, the Phillies and much of the baseball world believed they wouldn't see Harper back in action until at least the MLB All-Star break. However, Harper's rehab has been on a steady rise since February. 

After being cleared for "dry swings," Harper quickly graduated to hitting off a tee and taking soft-toss pitches. Only weeks later, Harper is taking live pitches at the plate. 

While Harper appears to be way ahead of schedule, the Phillies are still taking a cautious approach with their right fielder. Earlier this week, Phillies president Dave Dombrowski told NBC Philadelphia's John Clark that Harper's recovery is "going great," but they aren't going to push him too hard. 

"We'll keep our fingers crossed, the sooner he can come back, the better," Dombrowski said. "But we also don't want to rush him." 

Harper's elbow injury limited him to 99 games in 2022. While the Phillies managed to weather the storm without Harper for some of last season, they have not had the same luck early in the 2023 campaign.  

With Harper still sidelined, the Phillies have lost five of their first six games and were outscored 38-18 in series losses to the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.