Phillies get boost as All-Star starting pitcher returns from IL

The Phillies announced that Ranger Suarez has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list, and the left-hander will be on the mound to start Saturday’s game against the Royals. Left-hander Tyler Gilbert was optioned to Triple-A Friday before Suarez’s planned return.

Suarez last pitched just over a month ago, when he allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 Phillies loss to the Twins on July 22.  That was Suarez's fourth rough outing, as his attempts to pitch through back pain were harming his performance.  Suarez skipped the All-Star Game to get some extra rest for his back problems, but after returning from the break to post that shaky start against Minnesota, the decision was made to place him on the IL for a fuller recovery period.

After emerging as a solid member of Philadelphia’s rotation in 2022-23, Suarez took a step forward as a potential ace by posting a 1.83 ERA over his first 16 starters and 98 1/3 innings of the 2024 campaign.  Even with his last four starts boosting that ERA up to 2.87 over 119 1/3 frames for the season, Suarez’s overall numbers are still excellent, such as a 52.3% grounder rate, a 5.6% walk rate, and solid soft-contact metrics.  The lefty is more of a contact specialist than a strikeout pitcher, but his 24.1% strikeout rate is above the league average, sitting in the 62nd percentile of all pitchers.

Suarez’s production reflects the Phillies’ season, as the Phils have also had some recent struggles after an outstanding first three months.  Philadelphia has only been 19-25 since July 1, and while the Braves have had their struggles, Atlanta now sits only five games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East.  A five-game lead is still a pretty comfortable position to hold on Aug. 24, and the Phillies can only hope that a healthy and effective Suarez can help get the club back into form during the pennant race and into October.