Bryce Harper begins hitting off tee, could begin taking batting practice this month

Bryce Harper reported to Phillies spring training on Thursday and it appears he is progressing in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

Manager Rob Thomson told reporters following Thursday’s game against the Orioles that Harper began hitting off a tee. He was cleared to start swinging a bat two weeks ago as he began to take “dry swings.” The Phillies skipper also acknowledged at the time that Harper was slightly ahead of his rehab schedule.

Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Harper will hit off the tee every other day. Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported that Harper took about 16 swings on Thursday.

Harper could begin taking batting practice on the field by the end of spring training. It’s not likely, according to Stark, but it’s possible Harper could even begin facing live pitching by the end of camp.

The Phillies and Harper are still sticking to the “before the All-Star break” timeline for his return to the lineup, but it’s promising that there is even a possibility that Harper could partake in live batting practice within a month.

Harper needs to check boxes to progress in his rehab and according to Thomson’s brief explanation of Harper’s next steps two weeks ago, he could progress even further in the coming weeks.

Here are what the next steps look like, per Thomson. He’s already at step two and in the best-case scenario Stark mentioned, he could be at step six by the end of spring training.

1. Dry swings
2. Tee work
3. Soft toss
4. Batting practice on the field
5. High velocity cage work
6. Live batting practice

The next step after live batting practice could be a minor league rehab assignment.

As we learned from Harper’s recovery from a broken thumb last year, he ultimately dictates the pace of his rehab. Once he eventually goes out on a minor league assignment, it’ll be interesting to see how much time he will take before returning to the lineup.

He will have to adjust his methodical pre-pitch routine to comply with the pitch timer and that could mean more time spent in the minor leagues taking at-bats. Harper also struggled after his return to the lineup last August and some of that could be attributed to his relatively quick rehab stint. Perhaps that will impact the length of the assignment.

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