Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber Officially Back for Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies got a much-needed off day on Monday following a frustrating series loss to their archrival Atlanta Braves over the weekend.

Manager Rob Thomson cited some fatigue as the reason why their level of play has faltered a bit, so not playing a game before their massive matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers starting on Tuesday was huge.

The Phillies will also receive a major boost by getting their superstars Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber back.

Per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Philadelphia has activated the pair off the injured list and designated outfielder David Dahl for assignment and has optioned Kody Clemens back to Triple-A.

Harper and Schwarber were placed on the injured list at the same time when they left the same game with a strained hamstring and groin respectively. Despite the initial fear that these two would be out for an extended period of time, the Phillies received positive news immediately when these injuries were described as "mild."

Rumors started to circulate that they would be back before the All-Star break, and that has now been proven to be accurate.

July 9 was the first day they could be activated and both will be in the lineup facing the Dodgers in a pivotal matchup taking place at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia will look much closer to the team they are expected to be at the end of the year now that Harper and Schwarber are in the lineup, giving everyone a preview of what could be a matchup in the playoffs.