Facing knuckleballer in his return, Harper still produces plethora of results originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Hitting is as much a guessing game as it is skill at times. Guess right on what’s coming – whether heat or off-speed – and success is usually reached. When that happens, balance is sustained, arms and legs move in unison. Guessing is where arms flail, hips fly open (or don’t open at all) and odd movements are made in order to compensate.

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When facing a knuckleball pitcher, like the Phillies did Monday night against San Diego Padres starter Matt Waldron, the wonderment at the plate never ends, even when you know the floater is coming.

And as Bryce Harper made his return to the lineup after missing 22 games with a sore right wrist, there no doubt was some concern as to how the wrist would react to trying to hit a dancing baseball.

It seemed as though the first baseman wasn’t too far off in his return as his four at-bats produced a plethora of results.

There was the eight-pitch AB in the first in which Harper saw seven knuckleballs. He hit three foul balls before working a walk. He grounded out on one pitch – a knuckler – his second time up. After fouling off a knuckler his third appearance, Harper laced a missile down to first base where Padres first baseman Luis Arraez made a diving catch and, while on his belly, reached out with his bare hand and doubled off Kyle Schwarber to end the inning. His final at-bat, off reliever Dave Morgan, had Harper look at five pitches without a swing. The last pitch hit him in the foot.

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“You just don’t know what a knuckleballer is going to do,” said Phillies instructor Larry Bowa. “We always had a saying back when I played and you were facing a knuckleball pitcher that ‘When it’s high let it fly when it’s low let it go.’

“That’s a tough guy to go up against in your first game back. I’m sure he’d rather come back in a game where a guy is throwing 97, right?”

That luxury wasn’t afforded to Harper, however, and the results, while not spectacular, were good enough for Bowa.

“I thought his bats were alright,” Bowa said. “He is such a perfectionist and that’s why he’s a great player. He could hit three home runs in his next game. I don’t think he’s that far off at all. I’d say a couple to three games and he should be back where he can be. It won’t take long.”

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The rainout on Tuesday afforded Harper an extra day off after his comeback game.

No word on how he was feeling the day after his return as manager Rob Thomson was not made available and Harper wasn’t around in the locker room for the short time media was permitted before the game was called.

There will be a day/night doubleheader on Wednesday with Game 1 beginning at 1:05 p.m. and Game 2 at 6:15 p.m. RHP Mick Abel will start the afternoon game and Cristopher Sanchez the evening.