Watch: Bryce Harper hits two homers during rehab assignment for broken thumb
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Bryce Harper's rehab stint in Lehigh Valley got off to a roaring start. Harper, in the first at-bat of his planned five-game rehab assignment with the IronPigs, clubbed a no-doubt home run against the Gwinnett Stripers Tuesday night.
In a 2-2 count against Stripers left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster, Harper deposited a hanging slider into right field.
Harper's homer cut the Stripers' lead to 3-1.
It was Harper's second career home run in Triple A, having hit his only other in 2012.
Harper wasn't content with just one dinger Tuesday.
In his fifth at-bat in the eighth inning, Harper clobbered a three-run homer to left field on the first pitch he saw from Gwinett pitcher William Woods.
Harper walked in his second at-bat, grounded out in his third AB and walked again in his fourth AB. He scored three runs and drove in four runs in three official at-bats.
After Harper's second homer gave Lehigh Valley a 9-5 lead, the Stripers wrote on Twitter "life's about perspective."
"Harper homers again to extend our deficit to 9-5. Listen, if you only count the at-bats by people with less than two National League MVPs, we would be tied," the team wrote in a tweet. "Life's about perspective."
Harper will be the IronPigs' designated hitter until Saturday. The plan is for him to take Sunday off.
Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said Monday that a Monday return in Arizona is "in play."
The 2021 NL MVP suffered a broken left thumb when he was hit by a 97-mph fastball by Blake Snell on June 25 in San Diego. He's been relegated to full-time DH duty after he suffered a small tear in his UCL in his throwing elbow on April 16.
Harper is hitting .318 with a .985 OPS, 15 homers and 48 RBI in 64 games this season.
Tickets for Tuesday's game went fast as soon as word spread of Harper's rehab assignment.
The IronPigs were playing as the IronMutts on Tuesday because they're hosting several local nonprofit dog rescues, celebrating non-pedigreed dogs.
Harper playing Tuesday only meant that more people will be at Coca-Cola Park to possibly see a dog they may want to rescue.
"It's awesome because we have a couple dogs here with us tonight that will be on the field soon that don't get a lot of attention," Jessica Ticchio said. "It's nice to have so many eyes on these dogs. They're great dogs. It's a really cool opportunity for us."
"To have Bryce Harper, he's one of the Phillies players," Stephanie Heckman said. "He brings so much attention to the Lehigh Valley. There's people that found out he's going to be here and all of a sudden, this game brought so much attention, so many people from Lehigh Valley are here."
Ticchio and Heckman were with The Sanctuary at Haafsville, who were at the ballpark Tuesday night.
Eyewitness News also wanted to know from those who live close by what it means to have a player of Harper's stature play here.
"It's great for my son to watch him play because he's always hard-working," Kevin Varell, who was at the game with his son, Braeden, said. "You see him hustle every play and everything. It's nice to have somebody up here, allow him to see how baseball should be played."
While Harper wears No. 3 with the Phillies, he opted for No. 4 with the IronPigs because he didn't want to force pitcher Jonathan Hennigan to give up his number.
The IronPigs also auctioned off Harper's game-worn jersey.
The bidding closed at $2,600.
Based on the reaction in Allentown on Tuesday night, this Bryce Harper kid just might help the big league team snap the second longest postseason drought (10 seasons) in baseball.
