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Phillies Pitcher Reveals Promising Injury Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Ostrowski | Last updated Mar 21, 2025 2:48 PM ET

When Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suárez was revealed to have back pain, fans held their collective breath. After a great start to 2024 that earned him an All-Star appearance, Suárez missed a month of action and was otherwise a shell of himself on the mount when he returned.

Mercifully, a repeat of that doesn't seem to be in order.

Suárez spoke during today's broadcast of the Phillies and Minnesota Twins - a game he was supposed to pitch in - and offered a good sign.

"It's better than Monday when I felt a little pain in that area," Suárez said through a team translator.

His injury now is classified as 'back stiffness', a slightly different description than the 'lower back soreness' he dealt with last July and August. He confirmed as much in his comments:

"It's different than last year," Suárez said. "It was very horrible last year. It's just mild discomfort compared to last year."

Ranger Suárez says his back feels better already pic.twitter.com/OWv0crsbT6
— John Foley (@2008Philz) March 21, 2025

Suárez started 27 games for the Phillies last year, compiling a 12-8 record, 3.46 ERA, and 145 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. He also pitched 4.1 shutout innings in Game Four of the NLDS against the New York Mets - the final game of Philly's 2024 season. He is entering the final year of his current contract and could hit free agency for the first time this fall.

For now, Suárez is expected to remain in the Phillies starting rotation, along with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, and new acquisition Jesús Luzardo. He will play catch tomorrow and go from there.

If Suárez is not ready for Opening Day, Philly could briefly use a four-man rotation, thanks to a pair of days off, or have Joe Ross or Taijuan Walker make a spot start.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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