Ranger Suárez likely not ready for opening day, per report

As opening day nears for the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending National League champions may be without one of the key members of their pitching staff at the start of the season.

Left-hander Ranger Suárez appears unlikely to join Philadelphia’s starting rotation to start the year as he deals with inflammation in his throwing arm, according to a Wednesday afternoon report by The Athletic‘s Matt Gelb. An MRI showed no structural damage, so Suárez will take a few days off from throwing before reassessing.

Ranger Suárez will likely not be ready to begin the season. He still has inflammation in his left arm. Team sent him for an MRI yesterday. No structural damage. He’ll take a few days to rest it. At this point, it appears Matt Strahm could begin season as fifth starter.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 22, 2023

With Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker in the rotation and Bailey Falter essentially locking up a starting spot when prospect Andrew Painter injured his UCL this spring, the Phillies will need another starter to begin the season if Suárez is absent.

Matt Strahm — a lefty the team signed to be a reliever who has 25 career starts under his belt — could be the last member of the rotation to start things off, Gelb noted. With Cristopher Sánchez and Nick Nelson both dealing with setbacks this spring, left-hander Michael Plassmeyer would likely be the next starting option after making two appearances for the Phillies last regular season.

Suárez, 27, had a 3.65 ERA in 29 regular-season starts in 2022 before dominating in a hybrid role in the playoffs. He had a 1.23 ERA in 14 2/3 innings in a postseason run that saw him record the save to clinch the NL pennant and earn a Game 3 win in the World Series as a starter; the Phillies won all five playoff games in which Suárez pitched.

While he may not be available when the Phillies open their season in Texas on March 30, Suárez will again be a crucial member of Philadelphia’s pitching staff. Prioritizing his health, especially after an extended workload last fall, will be important as the Phillies aim to build upon last year’s run.

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