Phillies’ Ranger Suárez will miss Sunday’s scheduled start with a sore hamstring

WASHINGTON — Shortly before the Phillies took batting practice Friday, manager Rob Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski summoned pitcher Ranger Suárez into the training room for a meeting.

They emerged with a change in the starting rotation.

Suárez won’t start as scheduled Sunday night against the Nationals at the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., because of soreness in his right hamstring. Thomson said the issue cropped up this week after Suárez shagged fly balls in the outfield in Toronto, although the lefty told the team he was unsure exactly how it happened.

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“We don’t know how it happened; we don’t know how long it’s going to be,” said Thomson, who noted that Suárez will undergo further testing Saturday. “It’s just stiff and sore. I don’t think it’s all that bad.”

Asked if the Phillies are concerned that Suárez’s soreness will linger, Thomson said “not all that much.”

“A lot of times your legs get aggravated being on that turf [in Toronto],” Thomson said. “I’m hoping that’s all it was.”

Zack Wheeler will start Sunday, while Aaron Nola will be pushed to Monday for the opener of a home series against the Giants that has wild-card implications.

Taijuan Walker, skipped in the rotation this week to get extra rest for what he characterized as a “dead arm,” is a possibility to start Tuesday, according to Thomson. Walker is scheduled to throw in the bullpen Saturday, and Thomson sounded encouraged by his progress in flat-ground sessions this week.

But suddenly, the deadline trade for Michael Lorenzen is looming even larger.

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The Phillies remember well that Wheeler missed nearly a month down the stretch last season with a relatively minor elbow issue. A year later, they lacked adequate depth in triple A to cover for a similar setback to one of their starters.

Since they acquired Lorenzen from the Tigers, the Phillies have deployed a six-man rotation, largely because of a recent stretch of 17 consecutive games without an off day. But Walker’s situation, and now Suárez’s, may compel them to keep using six starters.

The Phillies are also monitoring the workloads of Nola and Wheeler, as well as Lorenzen and lefty Cristopher Sánchez, who have exceeded their career-high single-season innings totals.

Suárez has pitched well lately, giving up five runs in 18⅓ innings for a 2.45 ERA over his last three starts. He has a 3.88 ERA in 17 starts overall after missing the first six weeks of the season with an elbow strain.

Brandon Marsh could be reinstated from the injured list as soon as Saturday, according to Thomson.

Marsh, who crashed into the center-field wall and bruised his left knee on Aug. 5, played center field for Lehigh Valley after getting two hits and walking twice Thursday night as a designated hitter. It’s possible he won’t need another tune-up.

Whenever Marsh is ready to rejoin the Phillies, it might be as the left fielder. That’s because in his absence, Johan Rojas has stood out in center field — and not only for his defensive wizardry. Entering play Friday, he was batting .290/.338/.406 since getting called up from double-A Reading after the All-Star break.

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“He’s played excellent,” Thomson said. “He eliminates a lot of runs, and he’s held his own offensively. He’s got some big hits for us. He really deserves a shot. It could happen.”

The outfield picture will get more crowded when Cristian Pache is ready to return from elbow surgery. Like Marsh, Pache is playing in triple A. Like Rojas, he’s a right-handed hitter with above-average defensive skills.

Thomson said the Phillies want Pache to stay at Lehigh Valley “for a little bit more” time to assure his elbow is healthy. Minor league rehab assignments can last for up to 30 days. Pache, who can’t be optioned to the minors, began his assignment on Aug. 8, which means he can stay until rosters expand on Sept. 1.

Lefty reliever José Alvarado (elbow inflammation) could come off the injured list Sunday, but more likely Monday, according to Thomson. Alvarado was scheduled to make a second appearance for Lehigh Valley on Friday night. ... The Phillies placed pitching prospect Griff McGarry on the triple-A development list, a designation to allow for extra rest or additional work outside of games. McGarry has allowed 15 runs on seven hits and nine walks in 2⅔ innings since getting moved up to triple A. ... Phillies special assistant Howie Kendrick, in uniform in the dugout, got a nice ovation in the fifth inning. He batted .344 in 2019 for the World Series-winning Nationals and was a postseason hero with a huge homer in Game 7 in Houston. ... Sánchez (1-3, 3.39 ERA) will start Saturday against Nationals righty Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.76).