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Phillies Pitcher Scheduled to Make First Rehab Start

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Ostrowski | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 8:09 PM ET

The Phillies have some more good news on the injury front, as a third player will be joining utility man Weston Wilson and top prospect Andrew Painter on a rehab assignment this week.

Left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez, who has been dealing with lower back stiffness since March 17th, will return to the mound soon to make his first start of 2025. He would have been in the Phillies starting rotation if not for the injury, which has been a recurring issue over the past few years.

Suárez is scheduled to pitch Thursday night for Philly's Single-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers, and should throw three innings.

Ranger Suárez (back) has progressed well, so he’s starting a minor-league rehab. Will pitch three innings Thursday for Low-A Clearwater.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) April 8, 2025

The Phillies did not state if Suárez is expected to make an additional rehab start after the first. Their original timetable was for him to miss three MLB appearances, which would indicate he'd throw one more time in the minors.

Suárez made 27 starts for Philly last season, posting a 3.52 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 150.2 innings. He earned his first All-Star appearance as a substitute thanks to a strong first half, but his nagging back issues caused him to miss about a month afterwards.

2025 is a contract year for Suárez, so he'll want to return to the rotation and prove this injury was only a minor setback. Alongside Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger would be part of arguably the best staff in MLB this season.

For now, Taijuan Walker remains the fifth starter in Philly's rotation. He will pitch Wednesday night against the Atlanta Braves, looking to replicate his first start where he didn't allow a run in six innings.

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

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