Phillies fans may have to wait a little longer for the Ranger Suárez reunion they wanted.
Suárez, who signed a five-year deal with the Red Sox in January, has already become a familiar name again in Philadelphia conversations as Boston’s All-Star representative. But his latest start against the Angels ended in the third inning, and that could put his trip back to Citizens Bank Park in doubt.
According to New England Sports Network, Suárez felt "a big pinch" after throwing an 88-mile-per-hour cutter to Angels utilityman and potential Phillies trade target Jo Adell. He stayed in long enough to throw a curveball that Adell chopped back up the middle for an infield hit, then exited before the next Angels batter came up.
That’s a frustrating turn for a pitcher who meant plenty to the Phillies. Over eight seasons in red and white pinstripes, Suárez built a résumé that included a 3.38 ERA, an 18.1 bWAR, 705 strikeouts and 762 innings. He was named the NL Player of the Month in April of 2024, and later that season made the All-Star team as the Phillies set a franchise record with eight nominations.
He also became much more than a stat line in Philadelphia. Fans embraced him for his pitch mix, his energy and the postgame celebrations that made him feel like one of their own, including the video of him vibing after the 2024 division-clinching win over the New York Mets. That’s part of why there was so much excitement when he was announced as one of Boston’s initial All-Stars.
But the latest injury scare adds another layer to the Phillies’ decision to move on. Suárez had already missed the 2024 All-Star Game in Arlington because of back stiffness, and now he’s dealing with another setback at the wrong time. For the Phillies, it only reinforces the idea that letting him go was the right call once the projected free-agent price tag started to climb.
The club had one season with Suárez and Jesús Luzardo together, a stretch that gave Philadelphia what looked like one of the strongest rotations in the National League, and maybe in baseball, even without Zack Wheeler for the second half of the year. Still, when President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski had to choose between keeping Suárez and continuing to build around Luzardo, the financial reality pointed in one direction. Suárez’s expected contract would have been a heavy lift without solving the team’s bigger issues.
So while Boston now gets Suárez and Philadelphia gets to watch from a distance, the warm feelings in Philly haven’t gone away. If he does make it back for All-Star festivities at Citizens Bank Park, the welcome will be loud. If he doesn’t, the appreciation will still be there.
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Phillies Fans Just Lost A Reunion They Were Waiting For
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