Phillies won’t put Harper on 60-day IL at start of season

By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Baseball Writer

The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t putting Bryce Harper on the 60-day injured list at the start of the season. That leaves open the possibility for Harper to return to their lineup much sooner than the All-Star break in mid-July. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the slugger will return quicker than expected from reconstructive right elbow surgery. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says the NL champions are keeping their options open while waiting to see what happens in Harper’s recovery and rehab from surgery in November. The 60-day IL would prevent him from returning before the end of May.