Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper made the most of his first at-bat since returning from a left thumb injury.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been out for almost two months after Bryce Harper was hit by a ball and broke his left thumb. Then interim manager Rob Thomson made the official announcement — Harper will return in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Philadelphia on Friday, Aug. 26.

Phillies fans gave him a rapturous standing ovation as Harper stepped into the batters box at Citizens Bank Park.

Bryce Harper returns from injury, makes most of his first at-bats

Harper’s first at-bat had a chance to make an impact as the bases were loaded with no outs recorded. On a 2-2 pitch pitched by Bryce Wilson, Harper scored a single to right field and scored by Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins to give Philadelphia an early 2-0 lead.

In late June, Harper was hit with a left hand by a pitch thrown by San Diego Padres’ Blake Snell. His left thumb was found to be broken and he underwent surgery.

Last week, Harper spent some time in rehab with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. His short mission was a success. He hit two home runs in one game and recorded a walk-off double in another. Both faced the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers.

As the Phillies are looking to take advantage of the final stretch of the season to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2011, Harper is back with perfect timing.