When will Bryce Harper be back in the lineup for Phillies?

Philadelphia Phillies OF/DH Bryce Harper suffered a setback in his broken thumb and will require surgery. He is expected to be sidelined for at least another six weeks but there’s optimism he’ll return this season. Harper had been in and out of the lineup in an attempt to play through the injury. Instead, the Phillies will opt for surgery and let Harper recover.

Bryce Harper injury updates

Harper had been hitting .359 with 5 HRs and 16 RBI in June prior to being ruled out for six weeks. Philly remains 8.0 games back of the New York Mets for first place in the NL East and 3.0 games back of the Atlanta Braves in second place. With Harper out, the Phillies will need Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins and Kyle Schwarber to step up and carry the middle of the lineup. Those are big shoes to fill with Harper being the reigning NL MVP.

Alec Bohm isn’t a bad option in fantasy baseball. He’s rostered in just over 10% of fantasy leagues on ESPN. Bohm hasn’t been hitting for much power with just 4 HRs in 266 ABs this season. He is getting on base a decent amount and has a solid spot in the heart of the order. Didi Gregorius hasn’t gone yard all season but is another player who needs to step up. He batted cleanup in the Phillies win over the Padres this past weekend. If that continues, Didi may have some fantasy value with Harper out long-term.