PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper's tenure as the Phillies' everyday designated hitter will continue for at least the remainder of the season's first half. The doctor who administered Sunday's platelet-rich plasma injection told Harper Wednesday that he should be prohibited from throwing for six weeks, two weeks longer than the original plan.
The new timeline, which was suggested by sports and pain medicine physician Steve Yoon of Los Angeles' Kerlan Jobe Institute, means Harper will not be able to throw a baseball until June 26.
He'll then need to build arm strength before the Phillies can use him in the field, a process that manager Joe Girardi guessed would take an additional three or four weeks. He said it is "safe to say" that Harper will not play the field until August.
