Ranger Suarez dealing with back stiffness, Phillies’ rotation takes its first hit

Not ideal news with Opening Day barely a week away—Ranger Suarez is dealing with back stiffness and won’t make his scheduled start on Friday.

Manager Rob Thomson says it’s “not quite as bad” as last year’s back issue, which sidelined Ranger Suarez for over a month but again, it’s not the best news coming out of Clearwater when we’re roughly a week away from opening up the 2025 MLB season against the Nationals.

Rob Thomson discussing Ranger Suárez’s back injury.

“The next 24-48 hours will tell us a lot.” pic.twitter.com/GEnFJe115a

— John Foley (@2008Philz) March 19, 2025

What makes it even worse is that Ranger Suarez dealt with the same issue throughout the second half of last season and we all know how that turned out, right?

Ranger Suarez with “mild back stiffness”

Ranger Suárez is dealing with what the Phillies are calling mild back stiffness. He will not start Friday as planned. The injury is not as bad as last year, Rob Thomson said. But Suarez’s availability is now in question. More to come.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 19, 2025

The Phillies built what looked like one of the best rotations in baseball heading into 2025. Now, things get a little murkier.

Where the Rotation Stands Now

Before this setback, the Phillies were rolling into the season with:

• Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola
• Cristopher Sánchez
• Jesús Luzardo
• Ranger Suarez
• Taijuan Walker or Andrew Painter..?

That’s a loaded rotation when fully healthy, but now? It’s in flux before the season even starts. For now, that means Taijuan Walker is back in the mix.

Like It or Not, Taijuan Walker Is Back in the Rotation

Somehow, someway, Taijuan Walker is back in the picture. Trust me, no one is more upset about that than me but when you have multiple years and millions of dollars still on the table, you’re going to be considered because letting that contract waste away on the bench isn’t an option.

The Phillies can’t afford to rush Suarez back, obviously. Walker has been up and down this spring, flashing some solid outings before getting absolutely demolished by the Yankees on Wednesday, which pushed his ERA to 6.92.

Taijuan Walker vs. Yankees: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. 3 HR Max Velo 93.9 mph.

Taijuan Walker today: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Allowed 3 home runs. Max velo 93.9 mph.

Walker’s spring ERA is 6.92.pic.twitter.com/PKZ0CTZs8Y

— John Foley (@2008Philz) March 19, 2025

But if you’re looking for a silver lining, his velocity is up about 4 mph from this time last year but even knowing that, I think this more than fair to say the ship has sailed on Walker regardless.

Ranger Suarez is more important than you think..

Ranger Suarez is too important to risk making things worse. Back injuries don’t just go away, and the Phillies have seen how these things can linger. With Andrew Painter still not ready and no other clear options, Walker is holding down the fifth spot until Suárez is healthy.

This Spring had been relatively smooth sailing for the Phillies, even with Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler’s minor injuries. This is their first real test. Now we wait to see how long they’ll have to go without one of their best arms.

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