Phillies’ Ranger Suárez Takes Steps Forward in Injury Recovery

WASHINGTON — Ranger Suárez is expected to miss the majority of April as he rehabs a lower back injury. However, he took a positive step forward on Saturday by throwing a 26-pitch bullpen session at Nationals Park. “The report was really good, velocity was good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said before the second game of the season. “That’s a good sign. We’ll wait until tomorrow, reassess it when he comes in and figure out where we go from there.”

If Suárez’s body responds positively, the next step will involve an up-down bullpen session, which simulates finishing one inning and starting the next. Following that, his recovery will require facing hitters in live batting practice and ultimately going on a rehab assignment, especially since he pitched only five innings during spring training camp. Given the typical weather conditions in the Northeast in April, it’s likely that the rehab assignment will take place in Florida.

Suárez is currently dealing with lower back stiffness. While the Phillies do not seem overly concerned, this marks the third time in four seasons that he has faced issues related to back injuries. This season is particularly crucial for Suárez as it is a contract year, and he aims to demonstrate to the Phillies and other potential teams that he can maintain his health throughout the grueling season. Last year, Suárez set a career high with 150⅔ innings pitched but missed time from late July through late August due to back soreness.

In Suárez’s absence, Taijuan Walker will take his spot in the rotation. Walker’s first start is scheduled for the Phillies’ sixth game of the season, which will conclude their first home series against the Colorado Rockies.

In addition to Suárez, Thomson provided updates on another injured player, Weston Wilson, who has been sidelined due to a left oblique strain. Wilson strained his oblique five weeks ago, the day before spring training games commenced, and was originally anticipated to miss six weeks. On Saturday, Wilson took batting practice on the field in Clearwater for the first time since his injury. “He did a full workout today,” Thomson noted. “Tomorrow is going to be somewhat of a recovery day and then keep building. We’ve been shooting for mid-April-ish to get him into a rehab assignment. I think he’s doing pretty well.”

Wilson’s presence is considered important for the Phillies, particularly given the team’s limited options in right-handed outfield players. He is versatile, capable of playing both infield corners and outfield positions, including possibly center field. His hitting has shown promise as he batted .288/.375/.490 in 120 big-league plate appearances over the last two seasons and excelled against left-handed pitchers, hitting .333 with a 1.096 OPS.

Thomson emphasized the team’s strategy regarding Wilson, explaining, “The goal from the very beginning has been to have him begin a rehab assignment around mid-April.” Players can rehabilitate for up to 20 days before the team must decide whether to include them on the 26-man roster or send them back to the minors. Notably, Wilson has one remaining minor-league option.