ALLENTOWN, PA - AUGUST 23: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats in his first game on a rehab assignment for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs against the Gwinnett Stripers at Coca-Cola Park on August 23, 2022 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Photo ALLENTOWN, Pa. - With one big swing, Bryce Harper looked primed to join the Phillies in a pennant race.Harper homered to right-center field in his first at-bat for Philadelphia's Triple-A team Tuesday night as part of his rehabilitation assignment from a broken left thumb.Harper was the designated hitter and hit second in the lineup for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for the start of a six-game series against Gwinnett.
He drilled the fifth pitch he saw from Atlanta Braves prospect Jared Shuster high over the wall at Coca-Cola Park in front of what was announced as a sellout crowd of 10,001 fans.He walked against Shuster in his second at-bat to the boos of the crowd that wanted Harper to take another hefty hack.Gwinnett had some fun after Harper's solo homer cut the Stripers' lead to 3-1, tweeting "Phillies prospect Bryce Harper goes deep to cut the Stripers lead 3-1.
Admittedly, he looks like one to watch in the future."Harper, who won his second NL MVP award last year, hasn't played for the Phillies since he broke his left thumb on June 25.
He is expected to play in Lehigh Valley through Saturday and possibly return to the Philadelphia lineup on Monday when the playoff-contending Phillies begin a series at Arizona.The 29-year-old Harper, who signed a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Phillies in 2019, is hitting .318 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .985 OPS.