The Philadelphia Phillies will activate outfielder Bryce Harper on Friday, interim manager Rob Thomson confirmed Thursday.
A spot on the 25-man roster became vacant when the club placed right-hander Zack Wheeler on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tendinitis.
Harper, 29, will rejoin the team in time for a three-game weekend series with the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
He has been out with a broken left thumb since June 25.
The two-time National League MVP has been making headlines on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
After homering twice in his first contest with the IronPigs on Tuesday, Harper delivered three more hits and a walk-off double against Gwinnett on Wednesday. He is 5-for-8 with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs in two games.
Harper hit .318 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in 64 games with Philadelphia before breaking his thumb on a pitch by San Diego starter Blake Snell on June 25.
Wheeler’s IL designation is retroactive to Monday. The 32-year-old is 11-7 with a 3.07 ERA through 23 starts this season. He leads the team in wins and ranks second with 148 strikeouts.
Wheeler was runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award last season when he recorded a league-best 247 strikeouts. He went 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA and two shutouts.
The Phillies entered Thursday with a two-game lead over the Padres for the second wild-card slot in the NL.
–Field Level Media
