The Philadelphia Phillies are eagerly awaiting the return of superstar slugger Bryce Harper, who has missed a significant chunk of the season with a thumb injury. Harper has been sidelined since late June due to the thumb injury he sustained after getting hit by a pitch from Padres' Blake Snell.

He's been ramping up activity ahead of his impending return to the Phillies, and now fans have been given a timetable for when he'll be back in action. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, Harper is planning to begin a rehab assignment at some point this week and is hoping to be back in action for the Phillies by the onset of September.

Harper is set to begin his rehab assignment in the middle of this week, at which point he'll report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to join the Iron Pigs. His goal is to return to the Phillies by Sept. 1, meaning he could be back in action for the team's series against the Arizona Diamondbacks from Aug. 29-31, or against the San Francisco Giants, who the Phillies play from Sept. 2-4.

At best, Harper could be back in the fold in just over a week's time, though that may be a bit on the optimistic end. Harper doesn't figure to play the outfield just yet when he returns to action. Instead, the Phillies will utilize him at DH in order to reduce the stress on his thumb.

Bryce Harper was enjoying another MVP-caliber season in 2022 before the injury landed him on the shelf. Across 64 games, the 29-year-old is slashing .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI.