Bryce Harper resumes baseball activities; Ranger Suárez pitches five shutout innings for Phillies

Suárez hasn't allowed a run in four starts this spring, pitching 15 total innings. He allowed just one hit against the Tigers on Tuesday.

Phillies star Bryce Harper took grounders at first base Tuesday, his first baseball activity since waking up with a stiff back last Friday.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Scott Lauber

Published March 19, 2024, 8:58 p.m. ET

LAKELAND, Fla. — By day, Bryce Harper fielded ground balls and took swings in the batting cage in Clearwater, his return to baseball activity after waking up last Friday with a stiff back. By night, Ranger Suárez spun five scoreless innings.

And the Phillies played to a 0-0 tie with the Tigers in 1 hour, 58 minutes, as another day came off the calendar before opening day.

How’s that for spring-training perfection?

Suárez was nearly perfect against a facsimile of Detroit’s regular lineup, continuing a spring in which he hasn’t allowed a run in 15 innings over four starts. He allowed one hit, a two-out single by Parker Meadows in the third inning.

Otherwise, Suárez‘s signature sinker might as well have been a bowling bowl. Nine of the 15 outs that he recorded were ant-killing grounders.

“I think my sinker is working very well, breaking well, and if I keep it down in the zone, that’s the result I’m going to have,” Suárez said through a team interpreter. “It’s about confidence. If you have confidence in your pitches, it’s going to work.”

Suárez will make one more spring-training start before camp breaks next Monday. He will start the third game of the season, on Easter Sunday against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

Aaron Nola, who has been away from the team for personal reasons, will start the second game of the season on March 30, according to manager Rob Thomson. Nola’s wife is due with their first child on April 4.

Meanwhile, Harper remains on track to play in a game, either in the Grapefruit League or at the minor-league complex, by Friday. The Phillies are unconcerned that he’ll be ready to start the season on time.

On the mound: Connor Brogdon gave up one hit and one walk in two innings. Brogdon, who can’t be sent to the minors without exposure to waivers, is vying for a spot in the bullpen. He has a 2.35 ERA in a half-dozen appearances.

At the plate: Johan Rojas went 0-for-4, lowering his spring average to .156 in his attempt to lock down the Phillies’ center-field job. Thomson said he’s hopeful of making a center-field decision by the end of the weekend. … The Phillies finished with four hits, all singles, two of which came from Alec Bohm and Whit Merrifield.

Roster moves: First baseman Darick Hall, infielder Rodolfo Castro, lefty Kolby Allard, and righty Max Castillo were optioned to triple A; righties Austin Brice and Ricardo Pinto and catcher Cody Roberts were assigned to minor-league camp. The Phillies have 50 players left in camp.

Quotable: “As a pitcher, your goal is to pitch in the World Series, and once you do that, I feel a little more mature. That helps me, and I’ll try to take that mentality into the regular season and all the [playoff] rounds, as well.” — Suárez on how his postseason success (1.62 ERA over the last two years) can help him

On deck: The Phillies will venture 53 miles south to Sarasota, Fla., for their second-to-last spring-training road game against the Orioles at 6:05 p.m. Wednesday. Taijuan Walker is scheduled to start.