Getty Image / Carmen Mandato
The Philadelphia Phillies fell short of winning the World Series and now the franchise aims for a strong offseason. However, there seems to be a bump in the road. Superstar Bryce Harper could potentially have Tommy John surgery to heal his UCL injury and fans freaking out.
According to Todd Zolecki, the Phillies star is set to have surgery on Wednesday, November 23. For that reason, it’s unclear exactly when Bryce Harper will be ready to go in the 2023 season.
Bryce Harper will have UCL surgery next Wednesday. Not sure if it will be Tommy John surgery or not, so timetable to return in 2023 is unknown.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 16, 2022
As you can imagine, Phillies fans are already freaking out. Luckily, Harper isn’t a pitcher, so there is some good news in that aspect. Todd Zolecki points out that LA Angels star Shohei Ohtani returned from Tommy John surgery in just over eight months and was able to be a designated hitter in that time frame.
Don’t let Tommy John freak you out. It doesn’t mean Harper would miss 2023. Shohei Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018. He returned to DH for the Angels on May 7, 2019.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 16, 2022
Based on that math, the Phillies could have Bryce Harper back as a designated hitter by June. For that reason, the fans are melting down about it the news.
That’s horrible for the Phillies man
— manny ★ 123🐢 (@emans1024) November 16, 2022
Phillies fans are in their feelings today.
More pain 😫 https://t.co/CSjOqYQKnC
— Dani Romanoff (@DanielleChiaro) November 16, 2022
Okay, this might be a bit dramatic, but that’s just how Philadelphia fans are.
https://t.co/GzWkIXlSTy pic.twitter.com/FPPJ04a602
— PhillySports (J) 🍁🍁🍁 (@Philly_Sportss) November 16, 2022
We’ll see what happens with Bryce Harper’s injury. For now, we have to wait and see if he must receive Tommy John surgery or not. If he does, then the Phillies could be without their superstar outfielder for the first few months of the 2023 season.