Phillies get boost as All-Star starting pitcher returns from IL

The Phillies announced that Ranger Suarez was activated from the 15-day injured list and the left-hander will be on the mound for Saturday's game against the Royals. Left-hander Tyler Gilbert was sent to Triple-A on Friday ahead of Suarez's scheduled return.

Suarez was last seen pitching just over a month ago on July 22, when he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Phillies lost 7-2 to the Twins on July 22. This was Suarez's fourth rough outing, as his attempts to pitch despite back pain hurt his performance. Suarez sat out the All-Star Game to get some more rest for his back problems, but after returning from the break and showing the rocky start against Minnesota, the decision was made to place him on the injured list for a more complete recovery period.

After proving to be a solid member of Philadelphia's rotation in 2022-23, Suarez took a step forward as a potential ace by posting a 1.83 ERA in his first 16 starts and 98 1/3 innings of the 2024 season. Even though his final four starts increased that ERA to 2.87 in 119 1/3 frames of the season, Suarez's overall numbers are still excellent, such as a 52.3% grounder rate, 5.6% walk rate and solid soft contact metrics. The left-hander is more of a contact specialist than a strikeout pitcher, but his 24.1% strikeout rate is above league average and in the 62nd percentile of all pitchers.

Suarez's performance is reflective of the Phillies' season, as the Phillies themselves have struggled recently after a stellar first three months. Philadelphia has a record of just 19-25 since July 1, and while the Braves have had their struggles, Atlanta is now just five games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. A five-game lead is still a fairly comfortable position on August 24, and the Phillies can only hope that a healthy and productive Suarez can help the club return to form throughout the championship race and into October.