Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) walks to the dugout after a pitching change during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game three of the NLCS of the 2023 MLB playoffs at Chase Field in Phoenix on Oct. 19, 2023.
Ranger Suarez will start for the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs Tuesday night, marking another milestone in his recovery from a lower back injury.
Suarez made two starts with the single-A Clearwater Threshers to begin his rehab stint, most recently throwing 54 pitches in a four-inning outing on April 16. The lefthander is expected to make two starts for the IronPigs and, if all goes well, return to the Phillies' big-league rotation shortly thereafter.
Ranger Suarez is scheduled to make a rehab start for Lehigh Valley tonight.
Expected to throw 70-75 pitches. Next start is expected to be 90 pitches. #Phillies plan on having Suarez back in rotation by early May.
The Phillies' recent bullpen struggles have led some to suggest that Suarez should return to the club as a reliever, rather than replace Taijuan Walker in the rotation. Suarez is versatile enough to pull it off, with 68 career regular season relief appearances and a couple more in the postseason. Additionally, limiting his innings could help keep him healthy through the entire season.
On the other hand, moving Suarez to the 'pen would effectively transfer a significant number of Suarez innings to Walker. Walker has pitched well this season in a limited sample size, but it's unclear whether the Phillies trust him as a long-term starter.
Additionally, Suarez probably wouldn't love getting bumped out of his role as a starter in a contract year. And the Phils have a more pressing need for a right-handed arm than a lefty, given the effectiveness of LHPs Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm and the ineffectiveness of... well, just about everyone else.
The best move for the Phillies until the trade deadline would be making Ranger Suarez a reliever.
Observers searching for solutions to the Phils' bullpen problems have hatched an alternate plan, as well: sending super-prospect RHP Andrew Painter to a relief role when he joins the team this summer.
Joe Giglio says the Phillies should use Andrew Painter as a bullpen piece this season. pic.twitter.com/CH5PEmSLPE
The Painter proposal may make sense in a vacuum, if the team's only concern were to win a championship this fall. But Painter is the type of pitcher who could anchor the top of a rotation for a decade. He's been groomed as a starter since he first entered the Phillies' system. And while such a role could keep Painter's innings down (he will face an innings cap as a starter), it would also make it harder to provide the 22-year-old with a predictable throwing schedule.
In the end, issues like an overabundance of starting pitching tend to work themselves out. By the time of Painter's arrival, described by the team's front office as "July-ish," a starter or two could be injured or ineffective, a point Ruben Amaro, Jr. made on 94WIP Sportstalk radio Tuesday. "They're going to need starting pitching depth sometime this year," said the former Phils general manager.
Ruben Amaro Jr. talks about the idea of the Phillies using Andrew Painter in the bullpen. https://t.co/ofm0CHK2TJ pic.twitter.com/M1QffrL9Sg
In any event, Suarez and Painter aren't even with the team yet. Any conversations about potential bullpen roles are premature.
Tonight, Suarez's focus will be on the Columbus Clippers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
