The Philadelphia Phillies are optimistic about starting the 2025 season with a fully healthy five-man rotation, and a recent update from Ranger Suárez offers hope that he’ll be ready for his first start.
Suárez, who recently experienced back discomfort, reported significant improvement. “It’s better than Monday… I felt a little pain in that area, but I’m better now,” he told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. With this progress, the left-hander remains hopeful about taking the mound as scheduled on April 2 against the Colorado Rockies.
Currently, the Phillies’ rotation is set with Zack Wheeler leading the charge, followed by newly acquired Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, and Suárez. However, if Suárez requires additional rest, Wheeler could pitch on April 2, pushing Suárez’s debut to April 3. In a worst-case scenario, Suárez could begin the season on the 15-day injured list, potentially returning by April 8.
After an impressive start to the 2024 season—where he posted a 10-2 record with a stellar 1.83 ERA through three months—Suárez struggled in the latter half, seeing his ERA balloon to 6.54 over his final 11 starts. Now in the final year of his contract, he is aiming for a career-defining season before hitting free agency.
If Suárez is unable to go, Taijuan Walker is expected to step in as his replacement. Phillies manager Rob Thomson remains cautiously optimistic, stating, “Theoretically, yeah… We’ll know a lot more tomorrow. We’ll just have to see. We want to make sure we’re careful with him.”
With a promising rotation in place and top prospect Andrew Painter waiting in the wings, the Phillies are set up for an exciting season—especially if Suárez can regain his All-Star form.
