2 years agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (thumb) guaranteed on Tuesday that he will play again this year, regardless of whether the Phillies are in playoff contention. "Oh, I'll be back," Harper said. However, he declined to offer a timetable for his return after last Wednesday's surgery to fix his fractured left thumb. The thought remains that Harper could be back before September. He broke his left thumb on June 25 and had three pins inserted into his thumb, which must remain for four weeks. The 29-year-old will need a minor league rehab assignment before he returns, and he doesn't know how many plate appearances he'll need before he feels ready to face big-league pitching again. Despite playing with a torn UCL since mid-April, Harper was hitting .318 with 15 home runs, 48 RBI and a .984 OPS. Fantasy managers can only hope that last year's National League MVP can return without missing a beat later this season.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki