Reports: Bryce Harper has pins removed, could return this month

Whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies make a headline-grabbing move at the trade deadline, the team is drawing closer to getting back the reigning National League MVP.

All-Star Bryce Harper had three pins removed from his broken left thumb on Monday, per multiple reports, with internal hopes that the left-handed slugger could make his return to the Phillies by the end of this month.

Despite the lack of firm timetable for Harper to be activated, the news signals that the seven-time All-Star is healthy enough to begin more aggressive physical rehabilitation.

Harper, 29, suffered the fracture on June 25 when he was struck by a fastball from San Diego Padres left-hander Blake Snell. Earlier in July, Harper declared he would make it back before the end of this season, although he avoided naming a specific target for playing again.

"I don't want to put a number on it," Harper said. "I will be back at some point. It's not smart of me to give you guys a timeline when I don't know when at this point."

Harper, a two-time National League MVP, was hitting .318 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and 21 doubles in 64 games at the time of injury. The Phillies have endured without their superstar, going 17-12 without Harper and averaging 4.6 runs per game in that span.

Overall, Harper is a career .281 hitter with 282 homers and 800 RBIs in 1,347 games with the Nationals (2012-18) and Phillies.