Phillies slugger Bryce Harper will undergo an elbow operation next week, Philadelphia's president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced Wednesday. Dombrowski clarified that he's unsure if Harper will require Tommy John surgery, meaning that it's difficult to put an exact timetable on his recovery, according to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Still, Dombrowski cautioned that the operation will likely "slow him down" next season.
Harper, 30 years old, made his final appearance at a defensive position on April 16 because of a small tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. (The UCL is the ligament associated with the aforementioned Tommy John procedure.) He later sustained a fractured thumb in late June after being hit by a Blake Snell pitch.
That combination of injuries led to an eventful Harper season that saw him bat .286/.364/.514 (145 OPS+) with 18 home runs and 65 runs batted in across 99 games, all while mostly serving as the Phillies' designated hitter. Nevertheless, his contributions were worth 2.5 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference's estimates.
If Harper does end up undergoing Tommy John surgery, it's all but certain that he'll miss the onset of the 2023 season. Consider that Texas Rangers outfield prospect Aaron Zavala recently had to undergo the procedure himself. Zavala isn't expected back until mid-May. Harper would likely face a similar timeline.
It seems fair to write that Harper will likely miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic, an event that he had signed up for back in August. Harper was set to represent Team USA, and had even taken to recruiting fellow superstar players for the squad.
It's to be seen if or how Harper's expected absence early next spring will impact the Phillies' offseason plans. They could, at least, bring in a veteran outfielder on a non-roster deal as an insurance policy.
