Philadelphia Phillies injured slugger Bryce Harper is expected to require surgery to fully repair his broken left thumb, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, but the reigning National League Most Valuable Player still hopes to be able to return at some point this season.

A source told the newspaper on Monday that Harper, who was hit by a 97 mph pitch by San Diego Padres left-hander Blake Snell on Saturday, would need at least eight weeks of recovery time if he underwent surgery.

If Harper, who was officially placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, can somehow avoid going under the knife, the report states that he would be sidelined for four to six weeks at minimum.

Harper, 29, has put up MVP-worthy numbers thus far this season despite being mostly limited to a designated hitter role while playing through a UCL tear in his right elbow. The six-time All-Star is hitting .318 with a .985 OPS, 15 homers, 21 doubles and 48 RBIs in 64 games.

The Phillies have won 18 of their past 24 games, with 17 of those victories coming since firing manager Joe Girardi on June 3.

–Field Level Media