Bryce Harper has stitches removed from surgically repaired thumb - MLB

Bryce Harper still has a ways to go before he rejoins the Nationals, but he’s moving in the right direction. Per Dan Kolko of MASN Sports, the 21-year-old outfielder had the stitches removed from his surgically-repaired left thumb today.

Harper, who had surgery on April 29 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb, has not been cleared to begin real rehab work. The timeline still calls for him to be sidelined until around early July, so the Nationals might have to make due without him for another two months. Nate McLouth has been asked to be the primary fill-in, but he entered tonight’s action batting just .078/.254/.157 over his first 64 plate appearances this season. Ouch.

Harper was batting .289/.352/.422 with one home run and nine RBI in 22 games prior to the injury.

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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.