Phillies Make Unexpected Bryce Harper Injury Announcement Before Astros Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Luckily for Philadelphia Phillies fans, All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper is not a doctor.

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Harper turned heads on Sunday night when he essentially admitted he had no idea when he would return from a lingering right wrist injury. The two-time NL MVP has been shelved for over two weeks, and neither he nor the Phillies had any idea of a potential return timetable.

While we still don't know when he'll return specifically, we do know it could be as early as the weekend. Harper took roughly 50 swings, fielded grounders, and participated in a throwing program before Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros.

The Athletic's Matt Gelb reported that Harper could return as soon as this weekend's series against the Atlanta Braves, though next week "sounds more realistic."

Never again should anyone consider looking to Harper as a medical expert.

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The news is only so unexpected because neither Harper nor the Phillies had provided anything definitive as recently as Sunday night. We went from questioning if Harper would play before the All-Star Game to envisioning him playing again before June becomes July.

Harper hit the IL batting .258 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .814 OPS in 253 at-bats. He's posted 1.5 bWAR for the first-place Phillies, who entered Tuesday with a 1 1/2 game lead over the Mets.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.