What to Know
- Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper will have surgery next week to repair the tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow. The injury forced the right fielder to spend most of the season as a designated hitter.
- Phillies President Dave Dombrowski said Wednesday there was no timetable on Harper’s recovery until after the surgery.
- Harper suffered the small tear in April and last played right field at Miami on April 16. The 30-year-old had a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow in May and shifted to the designated hitter role.
The three main decision makers in the on-field product for the Philadelphia Phillies spoke Wednesday following the team's National League championship run and the first subject David Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, touched on was Bryce Harper's elbow.
Harper will have surgery to repair the injured ulna collateral ligament in his right elbow, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury reported. The surgery will be performed next Wednesday, Nov. 23, in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Dombrowski said Wednesday.
Dombrowski said there was no timetable on Harper's recovery until after the surgery.
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The extent of the surgery will not be known until the procedure occurs and the surgeon gets a look at the injury, Salisbury reported:
"Harper could have full-blown ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) or a lesser procedure known as an internal brace. Recovery times are different for both. If ElAttrache needs to perform Tommy John surgery, Harper would likely miss at least the first two months of the season but would likely be able to return as a designated hitter before midseason even if he's unable to throw."
It isn't known how much time, if any Harper will miss. Dombrowski said it appears Harper may need to DH some next season.
Harper suffered the small tear in April and last played right field at Miami on April 16. The 30-year-old had a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow in May and shifted to the designated hitter role.
The elbow injury did little to slow his offense as he led the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009. The two-time National League MVP did miss time because he broke his left thumb when he was hit by a pitch in the summer but still hit .286 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs. He was named NLCS MVP and hit six home runs overall in the playoffs.
Dombrowski and Sam Fuld, Phillies general manager spoke around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Phillies manager Rob Thomson then followed them to speak about his offseason plans and about Harper's impact on the team.
"You don’t want to lose Bryce," Thomson said. "He’s one of the best hitters in baseball, if not the best."
