Philadelphia Phillies lefty starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) won’t be ready to start the season due to a back injury, according to manager Rob Thompson on Sunday afternoon’s broadcast.
Rob Thomson said on the TV broadcast that Ranger Suárez will start the season on the IL.
Taijuan Walker will be the No. 5 starter. He will start the sixth game of the season.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 23, 2025
Suarez was scratched from his start on Friday with mild back stiffness, but Thompson was careful to add that the issue was not as serious as last year’s injury that required a pair of injured list stints.
He is playing catch, but at this point there is no timetable for his return.
Fantasy baseball impact
Last year, Saurez went 12-8 in 27 starts with a 3.46 ERA, 3.37 FIP and 8.7 K/9. His absence will mean the Phillies’ rotation is stretched a little thin coming into the year.
Taijuan Walker will start the season as the Phillies’ fifth starter. He will be starting his third season with the Phillies after going 3-7 in 19 games last season. He had an ugly 7.10 ERA and 6.94 FIP last season with just a 6.2 K/9.
Walker looked very hittable this Spring Training as well, giving up six home runs and 10 runs on 19 hits in 13 innings. Walker is definitely a good option to stack against for DFS contests, so keep an eye on how long he has to fill in for Suarez to open the season.
