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Bryce Harper remains on track for Phillies spring debut Saturday in Clearwater

Bryce Harper watched Tuesday afternoon’s game from the Phillies dugout and remains on track to make his spring-training debut on Saturday at Spectrum Field.

Bryce Harper watched Tuesday afternoon’s game from the Phillies dugout and remains on track to make his spring training debut on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida.
Bryce Harper watched Tuesday afternoon’s game from the Phillies dugout and remains on track to make his spring training debut on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
    by Matt Breen
    Published 

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Bryce Harper watched Tuesday afternoon’s game from the Phillies dugout and remains on track to make his spring-training debut Saturday at Spectrum Field.

Harper will play a simulated game Wednesday morning with Jerad Eickhoff, Harper’s first look at live pitching since signing his $330 million contract. He will follow that up Thursday afternoon with simulated action against minor-league pitching.

The Phillies will use Harper as a designated hitter Saturday against the Blue Jays. Harper said over the weekend that he usually likes to get 40 or 45 at-bats before the start of the regular season. After Saturday, the Phillies will have 15 more games before heading north. Harper has time to get close to his desired number of at-bats.

“The swing’s my swing, so I’ll try to see as much live BP as I can this week to get ready for games and stuff like that,” Harper said. “I just want to see pitches. It doesn’t matter who it’s from or anything like that. So I just want to see that and see rotation, feel what it feels like to be in my cleats today and be on the grass and just be out there.”