Bryce Harper Expected to Play on Tuesday After Phillies Were Destroyed Without Him

The Philadelphia Phillies were swept on Sunday for the second time this season.

It was an ugly three-game stretch against the Milwaukee Brewers that carried over the defeat the Phillies suffered in the finale versus the Atlanta Braves.

Nothing was good for Philadelphia in this one.

The pitching staff was shelled, the offense couldn't produce hits or runs and the defense was beyond poor with multiple errors, miscues and stolen bases allowed.

The only saving grace is Bryce Harper was not in the lineup for any contest of this set, having missed the last five after he was plunked in the elbow by Spencer Strider in his first at-bat during Game 1 of the Braves series.

But it was alarming to see how bad this Phillies team was without their superstar.

In those five contests, they were outscored 41-19, a staggering margin that should not happen for a team with World Series aspirations.

Philadelphia's depth looked beyond questionable, with Alec Bohm not producing at first base, Edmundo Sosa not snapping out of his cold stretch despite being the everyday third baseman and the outfielders providing next to nothing.

The Phillies need Harper back, especially because they are scheduled to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rogers Centre, a place that has turned into a house of horrors for opposing teams this season.

Thankfully, it seems like the superstar will be back on Tuesday.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Harper "expects to play" in the series opener.

The slugger said "he's feeling much better," a great sign considering he didn't necessarily inspire a lot of confidence based on his previous comments about when he might return.

What Harper looks like is anyone's guess, though.

One of the worries about the elbow contusion he's dealing with is that it might force him to change his swing, something that is never a positive when it comes to long-term success for the rest of the campaign.

Both Harper and the team must be confident that won't be the case if he's going to return without needing an injured list stint.

This stretch certainly proved that Philadelphia needs Harper, so it will be a welcome sight to see him back on the baseball field on Tuesday if he does indeed return.

More From Phillies On SI