Rob Thomson talks Ranger Suárez early exit, says it was ‘designed’

Ranger Suárez gave the Phillies five strong innings of one-run ball Saturday night, and then… he was done. Only 80 pitches. No signs of fatigue or visible discomfort, just a sudden hook that had a lot of Phillies fans scratching their heads.

Pulling Ranger Suarez was “designed,” Thomson said postgame.

Ranger Suarez is completely healthy. Rob Thomson said the plan today was 85 pitches for Ranger heading into the game. Suarez knew that and was completely on board.

The Phillies are trying to avoid what happened last year. They don’t want to burn Ranger out too early. pic.twitter.com/DUMAKkMeYD

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) July 5, 2025

“June was a heavy month for him. Six starts, five of them went seven innings, all of them 94-plus pitches. We came into today with an 85-pitch cap. Just pulling back a little.”

Ranger Suarez has been nails, but they’re not running him into the ground in July.

Suárez confirmed the plan afterward and said the pitch limit was precautionary. He told reporters he didn’t feel 100% after his last outing. He experienced some tightness in his shoulder and backbut felt great coming into Saturday and was totally healthy during the game.

Ranger Suarez said he wasn’t feeling great after his last start in Atlanta (shoulder, back) so the Phillies had him on an 85-pitch limit. Said he felt much better today. He’ll have an extra day off before his next start.

— Anthony SanFilippo (@AntSanPhilly) July 5, 2025

Can’t blame the Phillies for playing it safe.

They saw what happened last season. Suárez was a legit Cy Young contender through May in 2024 before the mileage started catching up. The arm and back wore down, and his effectiveness tailed off after the break. The 2025 version of Suárez has been even better and the team isn’t taking any chances.

The 28-year-old lefty now owns a sparkling 1.99 ERA, and he’s been one of the most efficient starters in baseball. The Phillies plan to give him an extra day of rest before his next outing, just to stay ahead of any issues.

All started with Mr. Rager pic.twitter.com/s0Ggf8Bsaq

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 5, 2025

The offense scratched out five runs on just five hits—three of them leaving the yard. Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber each hit two-run shots, while Edmundo Sosa added a solo homer. The bullpen picked up where Ranger left off, tossing four shutout innings to lock down win No. 52 on the season.

Phillies smash three home runs to back Ranger Suarez, beat the Reds 5-1

Up next: Zack Wheeler gets the ball Sunday as the Phillies go for the series win.

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