Phillies starter Ranger Suárez to begin minor league rehab this week

Ranger Suárez is ready to start a game.

A minor league game, that is.

Suárez simulated two innings — right down to a mock self-check for sticky substances on his hands — against hitters Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. It marked the second time in five days that the carefree Phillies lefty faced Bryce Harper and Cristian Pache, as he works his way back from a spring-training elbow strain.

Suárez has now been cleared for a minor league assignment beginning this week.

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“I feel that I’m very close,” Suárez said through a team interpreter. “I feel ready. But we’ll see what they say.”

Manager Rob Thomson said he wants Suárez to build arm strength in the minors so he can return to the Phillies’ rotation without pitch count restrictions. That likely means “probably three or four” minor-league starts, according to Thomson.

Thomson was pleased with Suárez’s progress.

“He looked good,” Thomson said after Suárez uncorked pitches to Harper and Pache while being subjected to the pitch clock for the first time. “Fastball was good. Velocity was good. He threw strikes.”

Suárez threw a career-high 155⅓ innings last season, plus 14⅔ in the postseason, and was slotted into the Phillies’ rotation behind co-aces Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. But he returned from the World Baseball Classic in early March with tenderness in his left forearm and was diagnosed by the Phillies with an elbow strain.

After several bullpen sessions, Suárez progressed to facing hitters last week in Chicago. Thomson said Suárez will throw about 40-45 pitches in his first minor-league start and build gradually to the 90-pitch range before he returns to the Phillies.

“The most important thing is to be healthy,” Suárez said. “I want to feel healthy. I think that the more innings I throw [in the minors], the better it’s going to be for me because I’m going to be more ready.”

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Harper, meanwhile, went through what has become a daily routine. On the eve of his five-month anniversary from an elbow ligament reconstruction, he played catch from 60 feet for the second time in three days, took swings against Suárez, and worked out at first base.

“I honestly think he’s going to come back sooner than anticipated,” Suárez said of what almost certainly looks like a fait accompli. “He looked really comfortable at the plate.”

Harper remains on track to see orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles during the Phillies’ series at Dodger Stadium from May 1-3. If ElAttrache clears Harper to begin a more aggressive sliding program, he could return to the lineup shortly thereafter as a designated hitter.

Andrew Painter remains several weeks from pitching in a game, but the top prospect is entering Phase 2 of a throwing program in his attempt to come back from a ligament tear in his elbow.

Painter, who is working out at the team’s facility in Clearwater, Fla., will increase the frequency and distance of his throws, according to Thomson. After playing catch from 60 feet every other day for two weeks, Painter progressed to 30 throws at 60 feet and 20 throws at 75 feet. He also will start throwing every day.

The Phillies will continue to move slowly with Painter, but remain hopeful that the 20-year-old phenom will make his major league debut later in the season.

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As lefty Cristopher Sánchez returned from a spring-training triceps injury for a spot start, the Phillies shelved reliever Andrew Bellatti on the 15-day injured list with right triceps tendinitis.

Bellatti appeared in six of the first eight games — and nine of 15 — before getting four days off. He allowed two inherited runners to score and was charged with one run Thursday night, although his fastball velocity remained mostly unchanged.

Thomson said Bellatti woke up Friday with triceps soreness.

“They don’t think it’s much at all, really,” Thomson said. “We just want to knock it out, make sure he’s healthy.”

Bellatti has a 6.23 ERA in 10 appearances and has struggled to command his signature slider. He has walked six batters in 8⅔ innings.

Bryson Stott, who entered Saturday leading the majors in hits (32), wasn’t in the lineup for the first time. It was a planned day off, according to Thomson. ... Right-hander Nick Nelson (hamstring) was scheduled for three innings at low-A Clearwater. The next stop on his minor league assignment would be double-A Reading next week. The Phillies are stretching out Nelson as a starter. ... Sunday’s game will be televised exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, rather than NBC Sports Philadelphia. Note the early start: 12:05 p.m. ... Zack Wheeler (1-1, 4.79 ERA) will start the series finale against Rockies right-hander José Ureña (0-3, 9.82).

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