Ranger Suárez on track to be in starting rotation to open season

Team USA defeated Team Venezuela in a quarterfinal matchup in the World Baseball Classic Saturday, in part because the stars and stripes were able to knock Martín Pérez out after just 1/3 of an inning.

While it was an uncharacteristically bad start for Pérez and both José Ruiz and Luis Garcia pitched well in relief, you were left to wonder if the game may have gone differently had Ranger Suárez not been forced to withdraw from Team Venezuela after experiencing forearm tightness in an exhibition against the Houston Astros earlier this month.

Fortunately for the Philadelphia Phillies, it doesn’t appear that they’ll have to open the season without their top left-handed starter.

According to MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki, Suárez had a successful throwing session Sunday morning, and the belief is that he’ll be ready to be in the rotation at the outset of the regular season.

The only caveat is that the 27-year-old won’t be built up to his full workload, so it’s unlikely he’ll be going deep into the game in at least his first couple starts.

Nonetheless, it’s a positive outcome for the Phillies, as Suárez has emerged as one of the most versatile weapons in the organization over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2021 season, Suárez has posted a 2.72 ERA and 3.40 FIP across 261 1/3 innings pitched. He’s thrived as both a starter and reliever, including closing out the NLCS against the San Diego Padres in 2022.

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