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.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) played catch on Saturday as he recovers from a sore lower back. Manager Rob Thomson indicated that Suarez was feeling better but did not provide any details as to when the southpaw will make his next start, although he said that decision will likely be made in the next 48 hours. At this point, it sounds like an IL stint to begin the season won't be necessary, but fantasy managers will want to monitor his status over the next few days in the event it takes a turn for the worse. The 29-year-old made two appearances this spring, allowing one earned run on two hits and no walks while striking out four over five innings. The Venezuelan was terrific to begin last season but faded late, finishing with a 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 16.6 percent K-BB%. The lefty should be a solid rotation piece for fantasy, but last season may very well have been his peak, and with this injury that could pop up again later, make sure not to overpay.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) "felt a lot better today" and will play catch in camp on Friday. Suarez had tests done on his ailing back this week, but the 29-year-old southpaw has been cleared to resume playing catch on Friday and will hopefully be able to avoid being placed on the injured list to start the 2025 regular season. It's something to watch early on in the season after Suarez dealt with back issues last year as well. Suarez was one of the best pitchers in baseball early on in 2024, but things fell apart for him and he finished with a 6.17 ERA in his final 12 starts before and after his back injury. While his back injury this spring may not be as bad as what he dealt with last year, it should make fantasy managers hesitant. Even if his back injury doesn't affect him at all, we wouldn't bank on Suarez being as good as he was early on in 2024.
Ranger Suarez Won't Start On Friday Due To Stiff Back
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) is dealing with what the team is calling mild back stiffness and will not make his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The good news is Suarez's injury isn't believed to be as bad as last year's injury, according to manager Rob Thomson. However, the 29-year-old southpaw's availability for the start of the regular season next week is now in question. Suarez pitched in an intrasquad game last Saturday and felt soreness in his back on Sunday. We should have a better read on his status for Opening Day next week, but fantasy managers have a right to be worried after Suarez missed more than a month with a back injury in 2024. If Suarez requires a stint on the injured list to begin the season, the most likely option to take his starting rotation spot would be veteran right-hander Joe Ross.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced on Monday that left-hander Ranger Suarez will start Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the division-rival New York Mets on Wednesday at Citi Field. Suarez was among the best pitchers in baseball in the first half of the season, but the second half wasn't as kind with him as he dealt with a back injury and wasn't as effective down the stretch. It makes the 29-year-old southpaw a bit more risky in DFS action this week on the road at Citi Field. The Venezuelan hurler faced the Mets three times this year, with two of his outings against them coming in the first half, when he allowed a combined four runs (two earned) in 10 2/3 innings while walking three and striking out nine. In his last start against the Mets on Sept. 21 at Citi Field, Suarez picked up a no-decision, allowing two earned runs in five innings while walking three and striking out four. He had a 5.74 ERA with 29 K's and 14 walks in his final seven starts.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 campaign. The 29-year-old was a solid middle-of-the-rotation option before this season, but he has shown he's capable of being an ace pitcher. On Thursday, Suarez threw five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and striking out four in the win. The left-hander has struggled at times during the second half of the season, but this was a promising outing. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Tampa Bay Rays during his next time out.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) is scheduled to come off the injured list on Saturday. The left-hander will take the ball against the Kansas City Royals after missing a few weeks due to lower-back soreness. The 28-year-old is in the middle of a breakout campaign, so his return is a welcomed sight for Philly. This season, Suarez holds a 2.87 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 116/27 K/BB across 20 starts with the Phillies. He'll get a tough matchup against Kansas City, but fantasy managers should activate Suarez and consider him a must-start option.
Ranger Suárez
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Phillies
