Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Phillies Injured All-Star Pitcher Progressing Well, Scheduled for First Rehab Start

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 6:07 PM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies have recently received some good news on the planned return of their All-Star starter.

So far in 2025, the Phillies have been fairly lucky on the injury front. To begin the season, the only major injury that the team had to deal with was the back issue that resulted in Ranger Suarez starting the campaign on the injured list.

Initially, the plan was for the southpaw to return to the Phillies toward the end of April, and things seem to be trending in the right direction.

On Thursday, the All-Star will be pitching about three innings in Clearwater, which was a change from a planned sim game.

Instead of a sim game, Ranger Suárez will now make a rehab start on Thursday in Clearwater. Probably about three innings, Rob Thomson said.
— Lochlahn March (@lochlahn) April 8, 2025

This is certainly excellent news for both the left-hander and Philadelphia.

Overall, the rotation has been strong even with a key member out. Taijuan Walker has made one start so far and pitched six scoreless innings.

The former All-Star was replaced by Jesus Luzardo in the rotation to begin the year, but his first start filling back in for Suarez was a good one.

This is a big season for the left-hander, who is in the final year of his contract. Whether it’s with the Phillies or somewhere else, he will want to have a strong campaign to get the best deal possible for himself.

In 2024, Suarez totaled a 12-8 record and 3.46 ERA in just over 150 innings pitched.

Thursday will be a significant step in the right direction for the left-hander’s return to the Phillies. However, it appears that the timeline of a return toward the end of April still looks likely.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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