Philadelphia Phillies Unlikely To Move All-Star Pitcher to Bullpen After Injury

The Philadelphia Phillies have decided not to move their All-Star starting pitcher to the bullpen, instead opting to make the swap with another player.

Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have had a hit-or-miss start to the 2025 season, with a 13-11 record putting them in second place in the National League East. They have remained relatively lucky when it comes to injuries, aside from two key ones to Ranger Suárez and Brandon Marsh, both of whom landed on the injured list early on this season.

The good news is that Suárez is making good progress in his recovery, having made a few rehab appearances to date and looking strong in them. He made a rehab start with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Tuesday, and in 5.0 innings pitched, he allowed only two hits and two walks, picking up five strikeouts, and not giving up any earned runs.

This is just the latest rehab appearance as he continues to work towards getting back to the MLB level. He seems to improve more each time.

The question has been asked regarding whether or not he could be an option for the bullpen, playing in long relief and giving the Phillies an opportunity to fill out their starting rotation in another way. However, Dave Dombrowski stated recently that the team has not discussed utilizing him in the bullpen, according to a report by Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In addition, he noted that the team will be utilizing starter Seth Johnson in a relief role in the hopes of improving a bullpen that has struggled somewhat so far this season.

Johnson has been relatively strong so far in Triple-A this year, as in five appearances he would pitch 20.1 innings, putting together a 3.98 ERA, 1.475 WHIP, and accruing 24 strikeouts to 13 walks. While not perfect, he has shown signs of improvement, and in his first relief outing of the year on Tuesday, pitched two innings, allowing two walks and striking out two batters, with no hits or runs allowed.

This becomes an intriguing decision for Philadelphia to make, as they now will have to begin shuffling pieces around as Suárez nears his return. With Johnson taking over a relief role, will he find a spot on the MLB roster, or will he have to stick around in Triple-A and continue to hone his craft?

With the Phillies in somewhat of a precarious position at the moment, hanging on to second place in the division but showing some signs of early wear, changes are certain to come in the next few days, and the bullpen is likely to be re-organized in hopes of a refined performance.

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