Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) pitched five scoreless innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in his most recent rehab outing -- collecting a win against the first-place Columbus Clippers. The 29-year-old was solid, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five. Through 12 minor league innings, he's let up just six hits and one earned run -- punching out 16 batters. Suarez built up to 59 pitches in this start (eight swinging strikes), and is scheduled for his fourth rehab outing this Sunday. It's possible that plan changes, considering fellow SP Cristopher Sanchez (forearm) left his start against the New York Mets on Tuesday with forearm soreness. Still, there's been no further update on his status. Currently, Suarez is on track to return to the team in early May.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) is not expected to return before the end of April, according to Jeff Kerr of CBS News. Manager Rob Thompson noted that the southpaw still needs "at least" more than one rehab outing to continue to build his pitch count. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression, but it appears the southpaw will not be in contention to return to action till at least May. So far, the 29-year-old has logged seven rehab innings (across two outings) and held a strong 1.29 with a 0.70 WHIP. He has posted a near-perfect 11:1 K:BB. When Suarez does eventually return to Philadelphia, he will likely push Taijuan Walker to the bullpen. Last summer, Suarez was effective when on the bump, holding a 3.46 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) was effective on the mound during his rehab start with High-A Clearwater on Thursday. The left-hander tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, and striking out four batters. This was the first appearance for Suarez since he landed on the injured list due to a lower back issue. Luckily, it doesn't sound like Suarez is going to need too many more rehab outings before rejoining the big league club. The hope is that Suarez can return to the starting rotation by the end of the April. Fantasy managers looking for pitching help might want to consider stashing Suarez.
Ranger Suarez To Start Rehab Assignment On Thursday
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) will start a minor-league rehab assignment and will pitch three innings for Low-A Clearwater on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb. It will be Suarez's first game action since he was shut down in mid-March in spring training with lower-back stiffness. The 29-year-old southpaw will need at least several more rehab starts on the farm before he's a candidate to make his 2025 regular season debut in the big leagues, which will likely come in early May. The Venezuelan hurler also missed extensive time in 2024 with a back injury and wasn't as sharp when he returned, but he still finished with a serviceable 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 145:41 K:BB in 150 2/3 innings over his 27 starts. When healthy, Suarez is worth rostering in all fantasy leagues as a ground-ball pitcher, but his below-average 21.8% strikeout rate leaves little in the way of upside.
Ranger Suarez To Throw Live Batting Practice On Saturday
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Saturday in Clearwater, Florida, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. It's a big step for Suarez, as it will be his first time facing live hitters since he was shut down with lower-back stiffness in spring training camp in the middle of March. If the 29-year-old southpaw is able to avoid a setback with his back this weekend, the Phillies will likely clear him to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Suarez will likely need several rehab starts, which means he could rejoin Philadelphia's big-league starting rotation and make his season debut by the end of April. He missed around a month in 2024 with the same injury and wasn't the same pitcher the rest of the way after posting a 1.75 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in his first 15 starts. Suarez is a ground-ball pitcher that lacks a ton of fantasy upside with a below-average career strikeout rate.
Ranger Suarez Could Throw Live Batting Practice This Week
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) could face live hitters by the end of this week. His recovery from back stiffness seems to be going well, with the next step after batting practice likely to be a minor-league rehab assignment. If all goes well, he should be able to return by the end of April. He'll be looking to build on his breakout 2024 season, where he posted a 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 150 innings. Once healthy, he will most likely take Taijuan Walker's spot in the rotation.
Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) completed a successful 26-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. Corey Seidman of NBC Philly reported that the southpaw still has several steps before he's ready to embark on a rehab assignment. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but this appears to be a strong start for Suarez as he slowly increases his workload. The Phillies placed Suarez on the 15-day IL due to lower-back stiffness. If the 29-year-old does not face any setbacks, he would be eligible to return later in April. Last season, Suarez posted a 3.46 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP across 150 2/3 innings of work. When the 29-year-old is cleared to return, he will likely replace Taijuan Walker in the starting rotation.
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) stayed back in Clearwater, Fla., to start the regular season but is scheduled to get back on the mound for a 25-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. The Phillies officially placed Suarez on the 15-day injured list on Thursday to start the year due to lower-back stiffness that he started dealing with in mid-March. The 29-year-old southpaw could be able to make his 2025 season debut in late April as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks on an eventual minor-league rehab start. Until then, veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker will occupy a rotation spot in Philadelphia, although he's really only worth using in fantasy lineups in NL-only leagues after an awful 2024 season. When Suarez does return, fantasy managers shouldn't expect another repeat of his strong opening couple months from a year ago.
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that if things continue to progress, that left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) "would pitch sometime in April." "You're talking three weeks or something at least." Suarez, who will begin the 2025 season on the injured list, will need to be built back up again, so if he does make his season debut in April, it will most likely come later in the month. With Suarez out, veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker will open as the No. 5 starter for the Phils. The 29-year-old Suarez got off to a fantastic start in 2024 before fading in his final 12 starts while also dealing with a similar back injury. He gets plenty of ground balls, but he's a soft-tosser that lacks strikeout upside to begin with, so he's taking quite the tumble in fantasy draft rankings with Opening Day just a few days away now that we know he's starting on the IL.
Ranger Suarez To Begin The Season On The Injured List
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) will head to the injured list to start the season, said manager Rob Thomson. Taijuan Walker will fill in as the fifth starter in the meantime. Suarez has recently dealt with back stiffness, and while it doesn't seem to be a serious injury, it will hold him off of the Opening Day roster. He enjoyed a breakout 2024 campaign, posting a 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 150 innings. He did a great job at limiting hard contact, allowing a 5.1% barrel rate (88th percentile) and 53.2% ground ball rate (90th percentile). He should be a useful fantasy option for the back end of rotations following his return from the injured list.
Ranger Suárez
• SP
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Phillies
