It’s only May but the Philadelphia Phillies are still struggling. 2023 has not been the year for them so far, especially with their designated hitter missing in action. Now, though, Bryce Harper has finally made it after Tommy John surgery and fans are feeling conflicted. The slugger returned to the diamond after just 160 days of rest, which might be the fastest recovery time MLB has seen yet. But could this decision cost the team and the player later on?

While some fans are happy at seeing their favorite DH back in action, some are also concerned that he didn’t get enough time to recuperate. Harper, to his credit, is back to batting. His first few games didn’t quite go the best for the Phillies and he can’t return to the right field just yet. But still, Saturday’s match-up between the Philadelphia team and the Boston Red Sox saw the 30-year-old player make a bold comeback.

Bryce Harper hits his first home run of the season with the Philadelphia Phillies

Harper’s first game was rather disappointing for fans since he went hitless and struck out three times against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next game wasn’t much better but it’s to be expected from any player just getting activated after spending months on the injured list. Saturday’s game against the Red Sox, however, was slightly different.

The Phillies still lost, if anyone didn’t know. But Harper hit his first long ball of the season, a full-count 89 mph to the opposite field, against Boston’s Corey Kluber. It was his 102nd homer with the Phillies and the 286th of his career.

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While the Red Sox won their 8th straight game, 7-4, the Citizens Bank Park crowd still honored Harper with a standing ovation before his first at-bat. The DH gave a solid performance in the postseason last year and a lot of fans are still riding on that high. Hopefully, Harper can get back to his stellar form soon!

Baseball fans have conflicted feelings over Harper’s first homer

MLB fans are not the kind of fans to give out standing ovations to just anyone. Only those that have earned their immense respect with amazing performances receive this top honor. In 2022, Harper took the Phillies to their first postseason appearance in 11 years, so of course he’s a superstar. He may have made an earlier comeback than expected, but fans still love him.

Some, however, still pointed out that despite the home run, the scoreboard read in favor of Boston.

Still, much of baseball Twitter was happy to see Harper back in action.

Now fans can only hope for a repeat of last season’s performance.

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