Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) will head to the injured list to start the season, said manager Rob Thomson. Taijuan Walker will fill in as the fifth starter in the meantime. Suarez has recently dealt with back stiffness, and while it doesn't seem to be a serious injury, it will hold him off of the Opening Day roster. He enjoyed a breakout 2024 campaign, posting a 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 150 innings. He did a great job at limiting hard contact, allowing a 5.1% barrel rate (88th percentile) and 53.2% ground ball rate (90th percentile). He should be a useful fantasy option for the back end of rotations following his return from the injured list.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) played catchon Saturday as he recovers from a sore lower back. Manager Rob Thomson indicated that Suarez was feeling better but did not provide any details as to when the southpaw will make his next start, although he said that decision will likely be made in the next 48 hours. At this point, it sounds like an IL stint to begin the season won't be necessary, but fantasy managers will want to monitor his status over the next few days in the event it takes a turn for the worse. The 29-year-old made two appearances this spring, allowing one earned run on two hits and no walks while striking out four over five innings. The Venezuelan was terrific to begin last season but faded late, finishing with a 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 16.6 percent K-BB%. The lefty should be a solid rotation piece for fantasy, but last season may very well have been his peak, and withthis injury that could pop up again later, make sure not to overpay.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Matt Strahm (shoulder) is scheduled to throw in a minor-league game on Saturday. If that goes well, Strahm would hopefully be cleared to pitch during Monday's spring training contest. The organization is hopeful that Strahm will be ready to go in time for Opening Day. The veteran southpaw is coming off an excellent season with the Phillies last season. He registered a 1.87 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 79/11 K/BB ratio across 66 games with Philly. The 33-year-old is expected to immediately slide into high-leverage spots in the Phillies bullpen.

The Philadelphia Phillies have optioned catcher Garrett Stubbs to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. As a result, Rafael Marchan will open the 2025 campaign as the No. 2 backstop behind J.T. Realmuto. During spring training, Stubbs has held a solid .286/.423/.381 line with a 3:4 BB:K. However, he fell short in the competition and will open the season at the top level of the minor leagues. Last summer, Stubbs was the primary No. 2 backstop behind Realmuto. Across a career-high 56 MLB contests, Stubbs posted a .207/.296/.262 slash line with four doubles and one home run. He placed in the 92nd percentile in pop time but generated a low .246 xwOBA. Fantasy managers in deeper NL-only formats should consider targeting Marchan as a low-end No. 2 option, as he would likely see the majority of opportunities if Realmuto were to miss time.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) "felt a lot better today" and will play catch in camp on Friday. Suarez had tests done on his ailing back this week, but the 29-year-old southpaw has been cleared to resume playing catch on Friday and will hopefully be able to avoid being placed on the injured list to start the 2025 regular season. It's something to watch early on in the season after Suarez dealt with back issues last year as well. Suarez was one of the best pitchers in baseball early on in 2024, but things fell apart for him and he finished with a 6.17 ERA in his final 12 starts before and after his back injury. While his back injury this spring may not be as bad as what he dealt with last year, it should make fantasy managers hesitant. Even if his back injury doesn't affect him at all, we wouldn't bank on Suarez being as good as he was early on in 2024.