Philadelphia Phillies All-Star starting pitcher Ranger Suárez was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday. The placement of Suárez on the injured list is due to lower back soreness and retroactive to July 24. To fill the open 26-man roster spot, the Phillies recalled Kolby Allard from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is scheduled to start against the Cleveland Guardians on July 28. This offseason, Allard joined the Phillies on a one-year contract worth $1 million. He has 69 career major league appearances, including 38 starts. Previously, Allard played for the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers.
The lower back soreness appears to have been an issue for Suárez for some time. He has not looked the same on the mound in his last few starts and as a result, did not participate in the All-Star Game. In his last seven outings, Suárez has a 0-4 record with a 4.99 ERA and 31 strikeouts. In 20 starts overall this season, he has a 10-5 record with a 2.87 ERA and 116 strikeouts. He has pitched 119 1/3 innings this season, easily his career-high at this point in the year. Phillies manager Rob Thomson is optimistic that Suárez will be able to return on August 7, which is the earliest date he can return from the injured list.
The Phillies have placed LHP Ranger Suárez on the 15-day IL (retro to 7/24) with lower back soreness. To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, LHP Kolby Allard was recalled from Lehigh Valley (AAA).
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 27, 2024
Phillies All-Star Ranger Suárez Goes On Injured List
Immediate Rotation Implications
With Suárez on the injured list, Allard is currently in line to make at least two starts. In 19 outings at Triple-A this season, which includes 13 starts, Allard has a 2-7 record with a 5.60 ERA and 69 strikeouts. Over the course of six seasons, he has a 9-24 record with a 6.10 ERA in the majors. Additionally, Allard has one save in the majors, which came in 2022. Allard has a 75 ERA+ and a 5.31 FIP in the majors. The first start he makes for the Phillies will see him become the 10th different pitcher to start a game for the team this season. For comparison, the Phillies had 11 different pitchers start a game during the regular season last year.
Tyler Phillips holding down a rotation spot in the absence of Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull is more significant now. This has helped prevent the fifth starting spot from turning into a revolving door while Walker and Turnbull are out. With the Phillies optimistic about Suárez being able to return on August 7, the injury does not harm the rotation and the Phillies pitching depth as much as it could have. Having Yunior Marte come back up after the All-Star break with Michael Mercado being optioned has temporarily impacted Philadelphia’s pitching depth due to the minor league option rules. Other trades have created more flexibility with the Phillies bullpen as well.
Big Picture Considerations
In recent weeks, starting pitching has become an emerging need for the Phillies. Suárez now being on the injured list should lead to a trade for a starting pitcher. Even if Turnbull comes back, he will likely be on an innings limit due to his lack of playing time from injuries in recent seasons. Suárez is on track to pitch the most innings he has in a single season in his major league career. In addition, the Phillies plan to go to a six-man rotation at some point in August. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have also pitched a lot of innings in the postseason for the last two years. Winning the NL East would help relieve some of that workload, as the Phillies have played in the Wild Card Series the last two seasons.
Making a deal similar to the one the Phillies made to get Michael Lorenzen last year would be beneficial. Having someone who could serve as a sixth starter and then pitch in a long relief role when Walker and Turnbull return could help reduce the workload of Wheeler, Nola, and Suárez. Keeping those three well-rested heading into October could be a key to postseason success. The Phillies are expected to add at least one high-leverage relief pitcher before the deadline. Trading for a starting pitcher in addition to that and using them in the role Zach Eflin was used during the 2022 postseason in October would strengthen the Phillies’ high-leverage relief group.
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