MIAMI — Ranger Suárez hadn’t thrown a pitch in a big league game since June 29, but he didn’t waste any time in getting back to his normal self. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say he got back to his 2021 self, when he posted a 1.36 ERA over 39 games. Suárez pitched as well as he has all season in the Phillies’ 10-0 win over the Marlins on Saturday, allowing only four hits, no runs and no walks with four strikeouts.
He was economical, finishing his afternoon at 64 pitches and 46 strikes in five innings. His sinker and his four-seam fastball both touched 95 and 94 mph a few times, which is a higher pitch velocity than average for him this year. For a pitcher who had a 4.33 ERA when he was placed on the injured list with lower back spasms, his return to action went about as well as the Phillies could have hoped.
With Zach Eflin still on the 15-day injured list with right knee soreness, and starter Zack Wheeler coming off of an uncharacteristically shaky outing, and not much starting pitching depth to drawn from, a dominant stretch from Suárez would be a big help to the Phillies. It’s hard to imagine that he’ll suddenly return to his 2021 self through the remainder of the season, but even a fraction of that output would make an impact.
