Jul 26, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Starter Ranger Suarez is struggling at the worst time for the Phillies

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Ryan Boman | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies are in a familiar place as the 2025 MLB season rolls into its final few weeks. They have a legitimate MVP candidate in Kyle Schwarber and a future Hall of Famer as their leader, Bryce Harper. The team has shown plenty of confidence lately, and the pitching staff has finally gotten relatively healthy. So there's plenty of optimism heading into the home stretch.

Sitting on the opposite end of that spectrum is starting pitcher Ranger Suarez, who has hit the skids at the worst possible time for a team with World Series aspirations. Already struggling for nearly a month, the lefthander was ineffective once again on Tuesday night, as the Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1.

Suarez had an awful stat line by the end of the night: 10 hits, six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, two walks, three strikeouts. And it's not like this is an isolated instance. Over his last six starts, Suarez has given up 45 hits and 24 earned runs for a 6.11 ERA.

With a pitching rotation that features Zack Wheeler, Taijuan Walker, Jesus Luzardo, and a soon-to-be-returning Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez was supposed to add depth for the team when October comes around. Now? There are questions about whether he will even remain in Philly's rotation.

What is Ranger Suarez's Outlook for the rest of 2025?

Aside from his poor performance against the Reds, Suarez also squabbled with home plate umpire Will Traynor. That caught the attention of Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson, who was not happy with the 29-year-old's onfield antics.

"You got to shut that down," Thomson said after the game. "You got to stay focused, stay composed and keep pitching. Those things are going to happen.. I don't know if they're accurate or not. But, that's something you can't control and you've just got to keep pitching."

The Phillies will likely give Suarez a long leash, as he has had success in the first half of the year. Overall, the veteran is 8-6 on the season, with a 3.28 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 112.1 innings pitched. His next scheduled should be on August 17 against the Washington Nationals.

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

More must-reads: