Harper set for elbow surgery, opening day status in doubt November 16 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink PHILADELPHIA (AP) Bryce Harper powered his way through a postseason with crucial homers and big base hits that carried the Philadelphia Phillies from the last NL wild-card spot all the way to the World Series.How much better might Harper have been without a torn ligament in his elbow?Harper at last will have surgery next week to addre s the tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow that forced the Mookie Wilson Jersey outfielder to spend the bulk of this season as designated hitter.The Phillies knew surgery was on the table once Harper suffered the small tear in April, and their surprising postseason run only delayed the inevitable. It was a tradeoff the NL champion Phillies would take, of course, but the po sibility looms large that Harper might not be ready for opening day on March 30 at Texas.Phillies President Dave Dombrowski said Wednesday there was no timetable on Harpers recovery until after the surgery, which is scheduled for Nov. 23.We have no prognosis, really, until he goes into the elbow and takes a look at it, Dombrowski said of the surgeon. Well have something at that time with the surgery and the anticipation something will happen. I would think it will slow him down for the season. Well know more next week.There are options: Harper could need Tommy John surgery (where a healthy tendon is used to replace a torn ligament) or he could face an easier repair of the existing ulnar collateral ligament. That won't be known until he goes under the knife.While pitchers can mi s up to 18 months or worse with Tommy John surgery, hitters can make a more rapid return because they don't have to throw. Still, recovery is needed and surgery could knock out Harper at least to the halfway point of the season. If it's a repair, Harper might not mi s much more than the first weeks of next season.Harper last played right field at Miami on April 16. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow in May and shifted to the designated hitter role. Harper met Monday with prominent orthopedist Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who determined Todd Frazier Jersey the tear did not heal on its own, nece sitating surgery.We always knew that was a po sibility, Dombrowski said. We've known that for months.The elbow injury did little to slow Harper's offense. The 30-year-old led the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009, where they lost in six games to Houston.In late June, Harper suffered a broken thumb when he was hit by a pitch and was sidelined for two months. He still hit .286 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs for the season. He was named NLCS MVP and hit six home runs overall in the playoffs.Harper left Washington and signed a 13-year, $330 million free-agent contract with the Phillies in 2019 and won the NL MVP award in 2021. A seven-time All-Star, Harper was the NL MVP with the Nationals in 2015 and has 285 career home runs.Dombrowski said Harper's availability for the early part of next season may Steven Matz Jersey not nece sarily affect his decision-making in the offseason. Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber could DH, and so could J.T Realmuto if he needs a break at catcher.You dont ever want to lose Bryce, you really dont, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. He's one of the best hitters in baseball, if not the best. We spent a lot of time last year without him. Guys responded. It gave opportunities to other people to step up and they did. While we will be mi sing him, and looking forward to getting him back, itll give somebody else an opportunity.The Phillies already have shed $75 million in payroll and could spend that cash on free-agent star shortstops such as Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson and Carlos Correa.Dombrowski and Thomson both tiptoed around their interest in the shortstops and insisted they would be fine with Edmundo Sosa playing there and Bryson Stott moving to second base. But the Phillies have spent each of the last several offseasons making big-money splashes, and this winter figures as no exception.The Phillies' $243 million was the fourth-richest in baseball and they owed $2.6 million in luxury tax penalties for exceeding the $230 million threshold. The threshold bumps to $233 million this season.You really would rather not be penalized, but I think were open-minded to having the best club we po sibly can and see where it takes us, Dombrowski said. Were going to push the needle to try to win. Were close, right? We also want to be good for years to come, too. Pedro Martinez Jersey I dont want it to look like were just going to sacrifice everything."Whatever the lineup looks like next season, the Phillies know they need a healthy Harper in there eventually.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports in this topic National League Major League Baseball Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper Bryce Harper Edmundo Sosa Xander Bogaerts Dansby Swanson Trea Turner Kyle Schwarber Philadelphia Phillies Marcus Stroman Jersey share Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 30 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 30 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ducks bring losing streak into game against the Hurricanes The Anaheim Ducks aim to end their six-game losing streak when they play the Carolina Hurricanes 31 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Blackhawks face the Metropolitan Division-leading Devils The Chicago Blackhawks face the top-ranked team in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils 31 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Tampa Bay in action against Detroit following overtime victory The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings after the Lightning took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime 31 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS
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