Bryce Harper reinstated

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have officially reinstated right fielder Bryce Harper from the disabled list. He is expected to start tonight as the Nats and Phillies meet again in Philadelphia.

Harper had missed 42 games after injuring his knee and calf running to first base on Aug. 12. He has worked extensively since to get back healthy. Recently, he has participated in simulated games and batting practice several times a week.

The Nats begin the postseason Oct. 6 in the National League Division Series. His return tonight allows Harper the possibility of playing in seven major league regular season games before the playoffs start.

Harper is batting .326 this season with 29 homers and 87 RBIs. If he can get one homer in this final week, he will have hit the 30-homer mark for the second time in three seasons. Harper hit 42 homers in his 2015 MVP campaign.

Harper's biggest impact will likely come at the plate. Mark Zuckerman has written a couple of times recently about the difference he makes in the Nats offense: Without Harper, the runs per game dropped from 5.0 to 4.1.

But it will also be important to see how he runs and stands and plays for nine full innings on his knee and calf, and to see how well he recovers after playing a three-hour game. Seven games before the end of the regular season may not be enough, but it's better than nothing.

The Nats figure it is better for Harper to rehab up at the big leagues, facing major league pitching under perfect lighting conditions, rather than the alternative. That would have been the team's the West Palm Beach facility, which is, of course, state-of-the-art, but he would have faced friendly pitching. Bringing him back to the big club right away will provide the best test the Nats can give him to see if he is ready for Oct. 6.