Bryce Harper isn’t Close to Being Ready to Play the Field

Bryce Harper isn’t nearly ready to play the field for the Philadelphia Phillies, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Bryce Harper continues to throw and will soon extend out to 90 feet, but it will be at least another month until he plays first base, Rob Thomson said a lil while ago.

— Corey Seidman (@CSeidmanNBCS) May 19, 2023

This is unsurprising, as Harper is still recuperating from Tommy John surgery. Yes, he can hit and is doing well in that department with a slash line of .314/.386/.490 but throwing is a different story. The Phillies are hoping that Harper will be able to play first base by the end of June.

When Harper is ready to play the field, it will be interesting to see how the former outfielder takes to the infield. The Phillies hope the move will be seamless, allowing the team to use the designated hitter position to sit one of their defensively challenged outfielders in Kyle Schwarber or Nick Castellanos.

On Saturday, the Phillies will start Aaron Nola, who will be up against Jameson Taillon of the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies are +126 (-1.5) on the run line and -152 on the moneyline, with an over/under of 8.5, over (-122), and under (+100).

You can find the lines and props for this game and all others on the FanDuel Sportsbook.