Ranger Suarez took a big step forward in his recovery from lower back stiffness, a promising development for the Philadelphia Phillies — and potentially for another team about 90 minutes southwest of Citizens Bank Park.
On Tuesday, Suarez made his third rehab start, initially slated to pitch for Single-A Clearwater but instead taking the mound for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He was dominant, possibly too dominant. Facing the Columbus Clippers, Suarez threw five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five and walking two. He was so efficient that he needed just 59 pitches (40 strikes) to record 15 outs, falling short of the 75-pitch goal, prompting the team to sit him for the sixth inning. Lehigh Valley went on to win 7-3.
Suarez, set to become a free agent after the season, is expected to make one final rehab start Sunday, with a pitch count target of 85–90. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Phillies in time for their home series against the Diamondbacks next weekend.
His return could create a rare luxury: a surplus of quality starting pitchers. Kenneth Teape of Sports Illustrated suggested the Phillies might use that surplus to address other needs, floating a potential trade:
Suarez to Baltimore in exchange for outfielder Cedric Mullins, an All-Star in 2021 who’s currently hitting .290/.443/.623.
“Both teams would be dealing from a position of strength to fill a weakness, shoring up their rosters for potential deep playoff runs,” Teape wrote.
Rotation Logjam Looming?
Suarez’s imminent return raises questions about how the Phillies will structure their rotation. When he was sidelined during spring training, it opened the door for Taijuan Walker to remain in the rotation. Walker has since excelled, posting a 1-1 record with a 2.29 ERA over 19.2 innings.
Meanwhile, ace Aaron Nola has struggled, going 0-5 with a 6.43 ERA. Opponents are hitting .301 against him, and he’s issued 11 walks in 28 innings. After his latest loss, Nola acknowledged his issues: “I’m not getting the results… My fastball’s not where it needs to be.”
Cristopher Sánchez had been off to a strong start (2-1, 3.42 ERA), but left his Tuesday outing early with left forearm soreness after laboring through two innings.
On top of all this, top prospect Andrew Painter continues to shine in his own rehab stint and is eyeing a June debut. Unless injuries change the landscape, the Phillies may soon face some tough choices about how to manage their wealth of pitching talent.
It’s a problem most teams would love to have.