Harper Makes Triumphant Return But Philadelphia Phillies Crushed By Dodgers

The Philadelphia Phillies welcomed back Bryce Harper on Tuesday, but were downed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bryce Harper wasn’t expected to go 4-for-4 with four home runs in his first game since undergoing Tommy John surgery on Nov. 23.

Just Harper’s mere presence in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup was a miracle.

Harper went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and the Phillies struggled, falling 13-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.

He swung at the first pitch in all four at-bats.

Without a Minor League rehab assignment, Harper believed that he was ready.

“I feel like my timing is pretty good but it’s just pitch selection for me right now,” Harper told reporters late Tuesday night. “I had some pretty good pitches to hit in my second at-bat and that last at-bat as well, a slider and a heater that I should have had better swings on. Flush that today and get back tomorrow. My swing feels good. I’ve just got to get going and understand it’s going to take me a minute.”

It wasn’t easy to return against Julio Urias, but Harper will never make excuses.

When he’s in the lineup as a designated hitter, he expects to produce.

Even after a six-month layoff.

“I think the biggest thing is that our whole lives, we’ve been told to slow the game down,” Harper said. “It’s going to be an adjustment for me but it is what it is at this point. The game’s going to be at a quicker pace.”

Harper knows that results will come soon enough. One or two hitless games won’t faze him.

It never has.

“You’re never excited for what just happened,” Harper said. “You don’t want that to happen. I want the results to be better. Granted, I’m excited to be back. Going through six months of grind and hard work and to be able to get back today, I was extremely excited. Now we’re just rolling into a season, playing in as many games as I can. Just gotta keep going, keep plugging along. It’ll even out and get better, just gonna take some time.”

Knowing Harper, it won’t take long.