Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is "preparing to play first base," according to Matt Gelb.
Gelb reports that Harper went to the Phillies with the idea earlier this month.
Harper, 30, is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery he had in November. Phillies starting first basement Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL on March 23rd and Harper is looking to replace Hoskins at first base when he's fully recovered.
Harper is way ahead in his rehab process and could return to the field sooner than later.
“I'm not going to tell you, but I've got a date,” Rob Thomson told the 94WIP Morning Show on Wednesday. “I think he could hit in a game, whether that’s a rehab game or whatever. It’s just the sliding part of it, we’ve got to get clearance from the doctors so that he feels like we can progress with the sliding, do some more aggressive head-first slides.
“Because that's how he does most of his sliding is head-first, and there’s an injury factor that he could rupture it again until we get clearance and we know that everything is strong inside that elbow.”
Originally, the hope was for Harper to return to the lineup as a DH near the All-Star break and the field eventually some time after that. However, it looks like playing first base could move up Harper's timeline for getting back on the field, as well.
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