Bryce Harper made minor league baseball look like kid's play right in his very first at-bat during his rehab assignment for Triple-A Lehigh Valley Tuesday. The Philadelphia Phillies star, who is trying to shake off the rust in the minor leagues before an eventual return to the Phillies' active roster, destroyed a slider for a solo home run  in the first inning that finally put Lehigh Valley on the board.

Bryce Harper even at less than 100 percent is simply too good in the minors.

Harper has not played in the big leagues since late June due to a thumb injury he suffered when he got hit by a Blake Snell pitch during a game against the San Diego Padres. The Phillies definitely need Bryce Harper back the soonest possible he can, as the team continues to improve their chances of making it to the 2022 MLB postseason. At the moment, the Phillies are 11 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East division standings. They are second in the wild-card race in the NL, but the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Francisco Giants are teams on the outside looking in of the league's wild-card picture.

Before his injury, Bryce Harper was hitting .318 with a .385 OBP and .599 SLG. He has 15 home runs on the season along with 48 RBI and nine stolen bases.

While there is no definite date of return for Harper, the Phillies might have him back next week when they open a new series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road.