PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper was back in the Phillies’ starting lineup for the Friday night game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after missing 52 games with a broken left thumb.
The reigning NL MVP was batting cleanup as the designated hitter for his first game since getting plunked by San Diego Padres left-hander Blake Snell on June 25.
Surging Philadelphia is coming off a four-game home sweep of Cincinnati and is 32-20 since Harper last played. The Phillies began play Friday in the second NL wild-card spot.
Harper is batting .318 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in 64 games. He went 5-for-8 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs in a pair of rehab starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Phillies had planned to keep Harper in Triple-A through Saturday, but his return to the big leagues was moved up after his walk-off double for the IronPigs on Wednesday night.