Phillies Make Cringe-Worthy Announcement on All-Star Pitcher
For Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez, the 2024 season was a tale of two halves. The team is hopeful that 2025 will feature more of the good and less of the bad.
Which made Wednesday’s announcement particularly cringe-worthy.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson informed reporters that Suarez will not make his next scheduled start on Friday in a split-squad game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Thomson said that Suarez underwent testing on Sunday for back stiffness after throwing 60 pitches in four innings of an intrasquad game on Saturday.
“That’s why we haven’t announced anything on the rotation, who’s pitching when, or who’s got the home opener, and all that stuff, because we’ve moved people around,” Thomson said.
Ranger Suarez to Miss Next Spring Training Start Due to Back Stiffness
Aches and pains are normal in spring training, as players gear up for the rigors of the regular season. But for a starting pitcher to experience discomfort similar to what had derailed his previous season is anything but routine.
Suarez was enjoying a career year through the first half of 2024. He went 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA in 16 starts, and he was selected to the National League All-Star team for the first time.
However, Suarez was unable to compete in the All-Star game due to the back discomfort, which would eventually land him on the injured list. Along with hamstring and shoulder issues, the back tightness would hinder Suarez for the rest of the season, and he went 2-6 with a 6.54 ERA in his final 11 starts.
