Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Hopes to return sometime in April
Rotowire
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that he is hopeful Suarez (back) "would pitch sometime in April," Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Suarez is dealing with a back injury and will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. He is throwing on flat ground but will need time to get built back up, which Dombrowski believes will take "three weeks or something at least." Philadelphia will use Taijuan Walker as its fifth starter until Suarez is ready.
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Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Needs IL stint
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Manager Rob Thomson said Sunday that Suarez (back) will begin the season on the injured list, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The left-hander suffered a back injury last week and will be unavailable for at least the first couple weeks of the regular season. Taijuan Walker will step into Philadelphia's rotation while Suarez is sidelined.
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Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Plays catch again Saturday
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Manager Rob Thomson said Suarez's back is feeling better after playing catch again Saturday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
The Phillies still haven't determined if Suarez will make his first start or head to the IL to begin the season, but Thomson said that decision will be made by Monday. The 29-year-old lefty is slated for another round of catch Sunday, which might help the team decide on his fate.
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Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Playing catch Friday
Rotowire
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that Suarez (back) "felt a lot better today" and will play catch Friday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Suarez underwent testing due to back stiffness, but nothing alarming was found and he's been cleared to resume throwing. The left-hander isn't out of the woods yet, particularly since he dealt with back issues last season, too, but it looks like he will have a chance to avoid a stint on the injured list.
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Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Undergoes tests on stiff back
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Suarez underwent tests after feeling tightness in his back Sunday, one day after pitching in an intrasquad game, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson contends that the back issue is "not as bad" as the one that cost Suarez more than a month of action during the second half last season. However, he will not start Friday's Grapefruit League game versus the Blue Jays and more will be known about his status within the next 2-to-3 days. If Suarez is not ready for the start of the season, Joe Ross could slide into the Phillies' rotation in his place.
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Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Sharp in first spring appearance
Rotowire
Suarez hurled two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League appearance against the Yankees, allowing one hit while striking out two.
It was the first appearance of the spring for Suarez, who looked sharp in two frames of relief. The 29-year-old left-hander was a first-time All-Star in 2024 on the strength of a 1.83 ERA over his first 16 starts of the campaign, but he limped to the finish line with a 6.54 ERA across his last 11 regular-season starts. The poor second half has rendered Suarez more of a late-round draft selection in fantasy leagues, but he's in line to carry plenty of streaming appeal in 2025 as long as he remains a starter for a Phillies club that should offer plenty of run support.
Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Gets $8.8 million from Philadelphia
Rotowire
The Phillies and Suarez avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $8.8 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
It was the third and final year of arbitration eligibility for Suarez. The veteran left-hander had a 2.76 ERA in the first half but just a 5.65 ERA in eight starts during due to a back injury. Suarez entered the offseason healthy and will be heading into his walk year in 2025.
Suarez will start Wednesday in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Mets, Gabriella Galati of 6 ABC in Philadelphia reports.
Suarez held a 5.65 ERA in eight starts after the All-Star break and missed time with a back injury. Phillies manager Rob Thomson no doubt will have a short leash with the left-hander in Game 4. Suarez will be opposed by Jose Quintana.
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Phillies' Ranger Suarez: Hit hard by Nats
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Suarez (12-8) took the loss Friday against Washington, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over two innings. He struck out two.
It was a rough night for Suarez, who allowed four runs in the opening inning, with a pair coming on a Stone Garrett homer, before the Nats tacked on two more in the second. The 29-year-old Suarez struggled in the second half of the season, posting a 5.65 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break. Overall, the left-hander will finish the season with a 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 145:41 K:BB across 27 outings (150.2 innings). The Phillies will look for Suarez to get back on track as they begin their postseason run.
Suarez came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Mets, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four.
The southpaw exited the mound after 91 pitches (57 strikes) with the score tied 2-2, and both New York runs came on second-inning solo shots by Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuna. Suarez hasn't completed six innings in a start since the All-Star break, and his last quality start came back on June 25. In six starts since returning from back trouble in late August, he's posted a 4.30 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 27:12 K:BB through 29.1 innings. He lines up to make his last start of the regular season on the road next weekend against the Nationals, but with the Phillies having clinched the NL East, they could shuffle things around to set up their postseason rotation.
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