The Philadelphia Phillies are off to a strong start to the 2025 MLB season, carrying a 6-2 record into Sunday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The impressive start has cemented the Phillies as championship contenders with the third-best World Series odds (+1000) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
As great as the Phillies look right now, their roster is far from complete. Veteran starting pitcher Ranger Suarez opened the new season on the 15-day injured list with a back injury, leaving time to tell when he’ll finally make his 2025 debut.
Latest Ranger Suarez Injury Updates Puts Pressure on Phillies
As April continues, it looks like Suarez is getting closer to rejoining his teammates. CBS Sports‘ Jeff Kerr is reporting that Suarez faced live batters during Friday’s practice, which resulted in Phillies manager Rob Thomson praising the 29-year-old southpaw for his “outstanding command” and “good” breaking ball.
Ranger Suarez threw live BP yesterday.
Rob Thomson said he had “outstanding command” in the first inning. Threw 34 pitches. Also said breaking ball was good. #Phillies
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) April 5, 2025
Phillies fans will likely be encouraged by Suarez’s latest update. On March 24, Philadelphia president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters that the injured lefty “would pitch sometime in April” if everything went to plan.
Getting Suarez back in the rotation will help take the Phillies’ rotation over the top. Expectations surrounding the Venezuelan hurler are high after a career performance in 2024 that saw him go 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.201 WHIP in 27 starts en route to his first-ever MLB All-Star nod.
Suarez’s impending return means the Phillies must make a tough decision regarding their rotation — especially if he successfully picks up from where he left off last season.
After all, RHP Taijuan Walker seemed like the odd man out after last year’s horrific performance. He’s since put himself back into Thomson’s good graces, pitching six scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Apr. 3. Similar performances will make it difficult to send Walker to the bullpen.
If the rest of the starters keep playing well and the Phillies don’t want to cut one of them, Thomson could also roll with a six-man rotation.
Having said that, six-man units aren’t popular due to the potential of disrupting pitchers’ rhythm and putting unnecessary stress on a sixth arm. It’s the type of obstacle Philadelphia doesn’t need on its World Series quest.
Suarez is likely a few weeks away from returning, meaning the Phillies have some time to weigh their decisions. Even though it’s usually hard to complain about too much of a good thing, the Phillies can’t let their rich pitching depth derail their promising outlook, further highlighting the importance of making the right decision.
