It's a pity that Harper will be out for so much of 2023, but since that's a byproduct of the Phillies long post-season run, I don't think anybody in Phillies fandom is complaining.

I think Harper will be out until early June. I'm expecting the Phillies to start off semi-mediocre, perhaps on pace to be a 82 win team or so. Then, once Harper comes back, they'll make a run for the 2nd or 3rd WC again, minus substantive additions. If they add Trea Turner and a top SP, I'm underselling them with my guess.

Vierling/Hall will probably pick up most of the PA Harper would get if uninjured. Thats a pretty big drop-off on offense likely (unless Hall can slug .500 for 2 months, then it might only be a mild drop-off). The defense will probably be better though with one of Castellanos/Schwarber DHing daily. I'm not sure how Hall's defense is in RF actually. But, I mean, its probably at least marginally better than Castellanos. Vierling has maybe a 5% chance of turning into a decent hitter still (his statcast stuff suggests he's better than his results so far, I'm skeptical he's as much better as they think though).

So, the 2023 Phillies are likely to be under-rated again, like this year, because their full-season record isn't likely to be indicative of the team they have in October.

Honest question: would Harper serving as DH hinder his recovery at all? How much? Seems like a mistake to leave him out of the lineup because he can't field, which he never really could.

Honest question: would Harper serving as DH hinder his recovery at all? How much? Seems like a mistake to leave him out of the lineup because he can't field, which he never really could.

I suspect he'll be able to DH by June (perhaps mid May at earliest) and play the field occasionally by July and routinely by August.

Whether he's any good in the field or not, he's better than Schwarber/Castellanos, so, once he can play regularly, he will, perhaps with 1 day a week DHing again. At least they didn't just put him in CF with Schwarber and Castellanos on the corners, right?

Honest question: would Harper serving as DH hinder his recovery at all? How much? Seems like a mistake to leave him out of the lineup because he can't field, which he never really could.

I assume it would hinder it a lot. Your reasoning explains why he played this past season. If he didn't care about ever fielding again, I'd guess he wouldn't get the surgery in the first place.

Didn't hinder Ohtani any.

Ohtani didn't DH until 8 months after the surgery

This is a very good comment. Although he has fouled and been sent off the team drift boss but with his very good performance in the last match, I think he deserves a regular place.

This is a very good comment.

I get that a lot.

I do agree that a healthy Bryce Harper deservers a regular place with the Phillies, drift boss or not.