Bryce Harper’s thumb ‘healing good,’ to be re-evaluated again next Monday

Bryce Harper saw the doctor Monday in hopes of having the pins removed from his broken left thumb.

Instead, the Phillies star will have to wait another week.

Harper said X-rays showed his thumb is healing, just not enough to take out the three pins that were inserted three weeks ago to stabilize the fracture. Harper is expected to be re-evaluated next Monday.

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”It just wasn’t time,” Harper said. “It’s healing good. Everything’s on the right path. Everything is going good. It’s just not where we want it to be at this point to pull the pins and be successful with it.”

Harper broke his thumb when he got hit by a fastball on June 25 in in San Diego. He had surgery three days later. Neither Harper nor the Phillies have put a timeline on his recovery. Harper remained noncommital after his latest meeting with the doctors.

“I don’t want to give anybody false hope or anything like that,” he said. “When I get back, I’ll be back and ready to go.”

Harper had been hopeful of having the pins removed this week, although interim manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies “kind of expected” that it may take a little longer.

It’s unclear how many at-bats Harper would need in the minors. As a hitter who uses his top hand to generate power, he suspects it may require some repetition to get comfortable at the plate.

“With how violent my swing is, with how I use my top hand, how arm-barred I am up top, how much strength I get in my top hand, it’s a big hand for me,” Harper said. “If it was maybe a different digit or my bottom hand, it might be a little bit different. But I want to be able to use all my fingers properly on a baseball bat and not try to change my swing or change the position of my hands.”

Harper has been receiving treatment on his right elbow. From the middle of April until he broke his thumb, he was unable to throw -- and limited to being a designated hitter -- because of a torn ligament in his elbow.

Once the pins are removed from Harper’s thumb, he said he will test his elbow by attempting to throw.

“I’m not allowed to sweat really right now just because the pins are sticking out of my hand, so I can’t get an infection. We have to be aware of that,” Harper said. “But when I do get the pins out, we’ll start progressing with that.”

Entering Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves, they were 12-11 without Harper in the lineup. The reigning National League MVP’s absence is taking a toll on the offense. They scored seven runs in three losses over the weekend and have just 42 runs over the last 14 games.

In 64 games this season, Harper is hitting .318 with 15 home runs and 48 runs batted in.

“That’s the main goal right now, try to get back in the lineup as fast as possible, but understanding that I want to be playing at a high level when I get back, too,” Harper said. “Not just, ‘Hey, I’m back in the lineup,’ but getting back and playing at a high level knowing I’ve got at-bats under me.”

Jean Segura will begin a minor league assignment Tuesday night for triple-A Lehigh Valley in Durham, N.C., with the possibility of rejoining the Phillies next week.

It has been a faster-than-expected recovery for Segura. When he underwent surgery June 3, the Phillies estimated the second baseman could miss 10 to 12 weeks. Instead, he could be back by a nine-week mark.

“I don’t know how long [the triple-A assignment] will take, but he certainly looks a lot better than I expected at this point,” Thomson said. “So far, so good.”

Segura is batting .275 with a .324 on-base percentage and would help lengthen the lineup in Harper’s absence. It’s possible he could bat near the top of the order, pushing Kyle Schwarber or Rhys Hoskins into more of a run-producing spot.

In Segura’s absence, the Phillies have used Bryson Stott, Yairo Muñoz, Johan Camargo, Nick Maton, and even outfielder Matt Vierling at second base.

Sam Coonrod, sidelined since spring training with a shoulder injury, is scheduled to pitch Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for Lehigh Valley before possibly joining the Phillies’ bullpen. ... Phillies first-round draft pick Justin Crawford signed for $3,894,000, slightly above the $3.7948 million slot value. ... The Phillies also announced the signings of 14 other draft picks, including third-rounder Gabriel Rincones Jr., an outfielder from Florida Atlantic University. Fourth-round choice Alex McFarlane, a right-hander from the University of Miami, is the highest remaining unsigned pick. ... The Phillies signed five undrafted free agents, including Villanova left-hander Danny Wilkinson and Adelphi third baseman Matthew Alifano. ... Former Inquirer columnist and Hall of Fame baseball writer Claire Smith, threw a ceremonial first pitch. ... Aaron Nola (6-7, 3.13 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Braves rookie right-hander Spencer Strider (4-3, 3.03).