The return of All-Star pitcher Ranger Suárez will give a boost to the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation. Suárez has been on the injured list since July 27 with lower back soreness but unless plans change, Suárez will start against the Kansas City Royals on August 24. Suárez is on track to pitch the most innings he has in a season this year. Suárez has pitched 119 1/3 innings this season which ranks as the third most he has pitched in a season. In 20 starts this season Suárez has a 10-5 record with a 2.87 ERA and 116 strikeouts. That goes with a strong 143 ERA+ and a 3.01 FIP. Suárez even achieved a career-best 4.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season.
One of Max Lazar and Tyler Gilbert will likely be optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the corresponding move. It is more likely to be Gilbert given that both he and Suárez are left-handed pitchers. Gilbert can make an impact in the stretch run so it is disappointing that he has not made an appearance. It is worth noting though that Gilbert is currently postseason-eligible. This leaves open the possibility that Gilbert makes a potential postseason roster. In four appearances Lazar has not allowed an earned run. Lazar has a 0.98 FIP and a 0.273 WHIP while not issuing a walk. Lazar has struck out 30.8 percent of the batters he has faced. José Ruiz has been excellent lately and will not be designated for assignment leaving this between Lazar and Gilbert.
The Return of All-Star Pitcher Ranger Suárez
Since Suárez went on the injured list the Phillies rotation has not been great. In that span, Phillies starters have a 7-9 record with a 4.72 ERA, which ranks 19th best in that time frame, across 24 games. However, Phillies starters have a 4.70 FIP that ranks 22nd in that span. The 19.4 percent strikeout rate the Phillies rotation has in that span ranks as the 24th best. Opposing batters have a .283 average against Phillies starters in that span, ranking the second-worst opponent batting average against a team’s starting pitchers during that stretch in baseball. Opposing batters have a .319 BABIP against Phillies starters in that time frame which ranks as the fifth worst in that span.
Suárez Can Provide Much-Needed Help
In April Suárez posted a 5-0 record with a 0.75 ERA and 33 strikeouts in five starts. Between March 31 to June 10, Suárez led all qualified starting pitchers in ERA, WHIP and win probability added. With J.T. Realmuto back from the injured list Suárez being able to return to the way he pitched in April and May will tremendously help the Phillies rotation. The return of Suárez will also stabilize the Phillies rotation after seeing a rotating cast of pitchers start games during the absences of Suárez, Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull. The return of Suárez might be exactly what the Phillies need to turn their season around and get back on track. Suárez pitching like he did early in the season will be crucial to a successful stretch run.
Impact Of Catcher On Performance This Season
This can be partially attributed to who has been catching Suárez. The time Realmuto spent on the injured list had a significant impact on some pitchers. While Realmuto was out Phillies starting pitchers had a 4.60 ERA and a 4.21 FIP. With Realmuto behind the plate, Suárez has a 2.01 ERA with a 4.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, with Rafael Marchán catching Suárez has a 4.98 ERA and a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. With Realmuto catching opposing batters have a .530 OPS against Suárez compared to a .800 OPS against Marchán catching. Garrett Stubbs has not been the catcher for Suárez during an outing this season.
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