Phillies Lefty Headed to IL: How the Phillies Will Adjust to Begin the Season
In the waning moments of the Phillies’ Spring Training, the news was announced that starter Ranger Suárez would start the season on the injured list. Suárez has dealt with a back injury for most of Spring Training, but the injury has been “improving” throughout his time in Clearwater. In 2024, Suárez was dominant at the mound, earning his first all-star selection of his career. At the start of 2024, Suárez was red hot and went two straight months without having any losses. However, he cooled off to end the season with a record of 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA. Ranger still has a lot of room to grow as he gains more and more opportunities. In the current moment, however, the Phillies will need to find someone to replace Suárez to start the season. Will it be veteran Taijuan Walker, or will the Phillies look in a different direction?
Since he arrived in Philadelphia in 2023, Taijuan Walker has struggled to find his comfort zone at the mound. Before signing with the Phillies, Walker had two of the best years of his career in 2021 and 2022 that included an all-star selection. On the other hand, Walker has had two of the worst years of his career in 2023 and 2024, that includes a 7.10 ERA in 2024. In 2024, Walker struggled with his health, and his command issues put him into the bullpen while also limiting him to only 83.2 innings, the lowest number since 2019. The Phillies have announced that Walker will serve as the replacement for Suárez to start the season as Walker looks to return to form from his days with the Mets. With Walker’s struggles as of late in Philadelphia, can that be a long-term solution?
Internally, the Phillies have other options if Walker were to struggle or if the injury was nagging for Suárez throughout the season. One option is prospect Andrew Painter, who the Phillies selected 13th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. Painter is ranked as the ninth-ranked prospect in the MLB, according to MLB.com. Painter himself has struggled with injury issues; however, when he is healthy, he is dynamic at the mound. In the Fall League this season, Painter had a 2.30 ERA in limited action, and across all levels of his career, he earned a 1.58 ERA in 125.1 innings. With the young success of Painter, the Phillies could opt to bring Painter up during the summer. As of right now, however, Walker looks to be the main candidate to replace Suárez.
