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Phillies place Ranger Suárez on 15-day injured list, joining Eflin

The bats may be getting in gear, but the Phillies are now woefully thin on healthy arms for pitching.

Ranger Suarez pitches against the Braves on June 29.
Ranger Suarez pitches against the Braves on June 29.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer

The Phillies starting pitching depth was put to the test about a week ago, when they placed right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 26) with a right knee bruise. Now, it will be put to the test even more after left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday (retroactive to June 30) with a low back spasm.

There is no firm timetable for Eflin’s return, but interim manager Rob Thomson said that the Phillies would take a closer look at him on Sunday. The news of Suárez’s injured-list stint came out after Thomson talked to reporters, so no timeline for his return was provided. One thing is certain: With Suárez sidelined, the Phillies will need a starter for Tuesday.

They could turn to Cristopher Sánchez, who has been stretched out in some of his more recent starts at triple-A Lehigh Valley, but has also been used in relief. Sánchez has a 2.25 ERA through 20 innings pitched this season at triple-A, and a 4.60 ERA through 15.2 innings pitched at the big-league level.

Sánchez has only made one start for the Phillies so far in 2022. He pitched 2.1 innings against the Mets on May 8, allowing two earned runs, one walk, and one home run with two strikeouts.

Left-handed pitcher Kent Emanuel is another option at some point. Emmanuel was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 20, 2022 with a left elbow impingement but has been progressing steadily through his rehab assignment, and is now pitching in triple A. Emmanuel doesn’t have a lot of big-league experience — he only has 17.2 innings under his belt — but in his two starts at Lehigh Valley, he’s allowed only one earned run (for a 0.90 ERA).

The Phillies may not want to rush Emanuel, but he is an option, should Sánchez not pan out.

Extra bases

  1. Shortstop Didi Gregorius was out of the lineup ahead of Sunday’s finale against the Cardinals. Thomson said that the Phillies gave him an injection of a lubricant into his knee, and that he was a little sore from the shot. Thomson doesn’t know if Gregorius will require another stint on the injured list, but thinks the team will have more answers on Tuesday. He says that the pain in Gregorius’ knee has been building since his return from his previous injured-list stint (from May 5-June 5) with a left knee sprain.

  2. Infielder Nick Maton (right shoulder strain) will undergo a sliding test on Monday. He has been on the injured list since June 5 (retroactive to June 4).

  3. Johan Camargo (right knee strain) did a full workout on the field on Sunday, and said afterwards that it went well.

  4. Right-handed reliever Sam Coonrod (right shoulder strain) did an up-and-down on Saturday and is en route to Clearwater for a rehab assignment. He’ll start seeing hitters this week.