Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez is OK after fielding a ball with his pitching hand in the team’s spring training game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
The play happened in the fifth inning off a one-hopper from Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. Phillies staff came to the mound to check on him before allowing him to return to the game. Philadelphia third baseman Alec Bohm even tossed his glove at Suarez when he realized the pitcher was uninjured.
It was Suarez’s first spring training outing of the season, and, except for the brief injury scare, it went about as well as could be expected. The southpaw threw two innings, striking out two and allowing one hit. He did not give up a run and threw 19 of his 30 pitches for strikes.
Meanwhile Zack Wheeler got the start and struggled mightily, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in two innings. The Yankees won the game, 12-3.
Suarez is entering his final season of team control. With free agency on the horizon and the Phillies a bona fide National League pennant contender, it appears he dodged a major bullet. Though pitchers often try to avoid fielding come-backers barehanded, it’s often a natural reaction to a batted ball hurtling at them that can be difficult to resist.
Phillies All-Star Ranger Suarez heads into his contract year
Suarez is entering a pivotal season in his career.
He earned his first All-Star nod in 2024, his age 28 season, going 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA. Even so, the Phillies did not offer him an extension last season, essentially assuring that he will test free agency this winter. Given Philadelphia’s rotation depth, there’s no guarantee the reigning NL East champions bring him back.
For now, the Phillies might deal with their pitching depth by using a six-man rotation, something they’ve done in the past. Top prospect Andrew Painter is also projected to make his MLB debut this season, further crowding the team’s stable of starters.
That means that Suarez could emerge as a potential trade chip as 2025 rolls on. But the Phillies might want to consider Suarez’s postseason track record before dealing him. In 10 career playoff games (eight starts), he has a 1.43 ERA over 37.2 innings. In his lone playoff appearance last season, he threw 4.1 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the New York Mets.