Suarez's chances of winning the Phillies' fifth starter job could take a hit if a shortened schedule leads to the team promoting Spencer Howard for the start of the campaign, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Suarez pitched well in eight Grapefruit League innings, posting an 8:0 K:BB while allowing just two earned runs. That gave him a legitimate shot to edge out Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta for the job, but a promotion for Howard could render the entire battle irrelevant.