Bryce Harper's rehab stint with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs was short and sweet, but he still made sure to take care of his Triple-A teammates after he returned to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Harper made his long-anticipated return to the Phillies lineup Friday evening, while still paying for both the IronPigs and Gwinnett Stripers -- the Atlanta Braves Triple-A affiliate -- to have Mission BBQ before that night's game, according to Tom Housenick of The Morning Call.
On Saturday, the IronPigs got to enjoy PRIME Steak House on Harper's dime.
The seven-time All-Star was following the lead of his former teammate Max Scherzer, who paid over $7,000 for a postgame spread while rehabbing with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies earlier this year. The three-time Cy Young Award winner also gifted each of his temporary teammates AirPods.
It was a nice gesture for Harper, who went 5-8 with two home runs and six RBIs in a pair of rehab stints with the IronPigs. The initial plan had been for Harper to continue getting at-bats at Triple-A through the weekend, but that timeline was accelerated given that the reigning National League MVP seemingly didn't have much rust at all to shake off.
Harper went 3-10 with two RBIs and two walks over the weekend, as the Phillies took two of three from the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. At 72-56, the Phillies are currently in control of the second Wild Card spot in the National League. Harper hasn't reached the postseason since 2017, when he was still playing for the Washington Nationals. Philadelphia hasn't played in the playoffs since 2011, the second longest drought in baseball.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram