Ranger Suárez has stiff back, next spring start moved back; Taijuan Walker hit hard by Yankees

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Boos rained down from the BayCare Ballpark stands in the fourth inning of the Phillies’ 9-7 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.

They may have been directed at Ben Rice, who had just hit the Yankees’ third home run of the day, or at Taijuan Walker, the Phillies’ starting pitcher who had allowed all three. Either way, the sound was a reminder of Walker’s 2024 season, where boos at Citizen Bank Park were commonplace as he struggled to a 7.10 ERA and allowed 2.6 home runs per nine innings.

After Rice rounded the bases, Walker allowed three consecutive singles before being lifted by manager Rob Thomson. The boos got even louder as he walked off the mound, charged with six runs.

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“Missed a few spots, didn’t win any of the 1-1 counts,” Walker said. “Wasn’t very good, didn’t get ahead. When that’s the case, you’ve got to be more on the plate, in the zone, and the margin of error is really small.”

Walker will get another opportunity to start before spring concludes, and a role in the rotation is still on the table. Thomson said starter Ranger Suárez reported feeling stiffness in his back on Sunday night, a day after throwing four innings in an intrasquad game.

Suárez underwent testing, and the Phillies will know more about his readiness for opening day in the next few days. Thomson said the injury is “not quite as bad” as the back soreness that kept him sidelined for nearly a month in 2024. Suárez was scheduled to pitch one of the split-squad games on Friday, but that will be moved back.

“The next 24-48 hours will tell us a lot,” Thomson said.

Before the intrasquad game, Suárez made two Grapefruit League appearances, allowing two hits and one earned run over five total innings. In both games, his velocity trended downward from last year. Thomson said he doesn’t think his back had been affecting Suárez before this week.

“He says he’s been fine. So we’ve got to trust him,” Thomson said. “And usually, he’s a little bit of a slow starter anyway.”

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Walker, meanwhile, is set to make his final start of the spring Monday against the Rays. He had been solid his first three starts and showed an uptick in velocity across the board from last season.

Even on Wednesday, his velocity remained high. His four-seam fastball averaged 92.4 mph, topping out at 93.9 mph. But he struggled with command, particularly to his glove side. Walker gave up a two-run homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a 93.3 mph four-seamer that he said was intended to be inside to the lefty but leaked out over the middle of the plate.

Walker walked two batters, and gave up a lot of hard contact overall. Including the three homers, 10 balls clocked an exit velocity over 100 mph.

Who stood out: The Phillies offense racked up 10 hits and drew nine walks. Brandon Marsh went 2-for-2 with a homer and a walk. Minor league call-up Robert Moore hit an RBI double in the seventh inning.

José Alvarado pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the second day in a row and showed no signs of slowing down his velocity, touching 101 mph.

Quotable: “The stuff didn’t back down at all. It was good. He’s been lights out,” Thomson said about Alvarado.

On deck: The Phillies head to North Port, Fla., to visit the Braves on Thursday (1:05 p.m., MLB Network, Phillies audio feed). Nabil Crismatt will start for the Phillies.

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Johan Rojas is scheduled to start in center field on Thursday, marking his first time playing the field this spring after a shoulder injury. ... Weston Wilson (moderate oblique strain) took ground balls at third base and hit soft toss on Wednesday. Thomson said the Phillies are aiming for Wilson to start rehab games in mid-April.