Philly Leader

Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez is working to recover from a sore back as the regular season approaches. Although his condition has improved, it remains uncertain if he will make his first scheduled start in the rotation. Suárez, who becomes a free agent after this season, last pitched on March 15 in an intrasquad game and felt pain in his lower back earlier this week.

“It’s better than Monday,” Suárez stated through the team’s interpreter. “I felt a little pain in that area, but I’m better now.” When asked about starting the season opener, he added: “I hope so.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson expressed cautious optimism following Friday's 6-3 victory over the Twins at BayCare Ballpark: “Theoretically, yeah,” he said regarding Suárez's potential readiness. “We’ll know a lot more tomorrow. We’ll just have to see. We want to make sure we’re careful with him.”

Suárez was set to be the fifth starter behind Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sánchez for an April 2 start against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies' rotation plans include Wheeler pitching on Opening Day followed by Luzardo and Nola. Sánchez will take the mound for the home opener on March 31.

If Suárez is not ready by April 3, Taijuan Walker may step into his spot. Should Suárez require more time for recovery, he could begin the season on a 15-day injured list with eligibility to return as early as April 8.

“About taking it slow, I don’t think we’re going to take it that slow,” Suárez remarked about managing his recovery process.

Suárez's history of back issues includes missing time last season due to similar problems which affected his performance significantly after a strong start.

“It’s different from last year,” he said about his current condition compared to previous injuries.

In other team news, left-hander Matt Strahm is expected to throw one inning on Saturday morning and potentially join Monday’s Grapefruit League finale against the Rays if all goes well. Strahm has been sidelined since March 5 due to shoulder inflammation but reports being pain-free now.

Top prospect Andrew Painter participated in live batting practice sessions at Carpenter Complex and will continue training before seeing game action post-camp break next week.