The Philadelphia Phillies will be without All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez to begin the 2025 season, as manager Rob Thomson confirmed Sunday that Suárez is expected to open the year on the 15-day injured list due to a lingering back issue.

“We don’t want this thing to linger,” Thomson said, via MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “So if we do officially IL him, we don’t think it’s going to be long.”

Suárez has been sidelined since March 15 and has only recently resumed playing catch. Given his history with back injuries — including one that derailed a potential Cy Young campaign last season — the Phillies are exercising caution. The team hopes that by giving him time to recover now, they can avoid the kind of second-half fade that plagued him in 2024, when his ERA ballooned from 2.76 before the All-Star break to 5.65 afterward.

By backdating the IL stint and taking advantage of three off-days in the season’s first 12 days, the Phillies expect Suárez to miss just one start and be eligible to return as early as April 8 against the Braves.

Phillies will look to another former All-Star to fill the void in the rotation

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

Taking Suárez’s place in the rotation will be right-hander Taijuan Walker, who is looking to rebound after a disappointing 2024 season in which he posted a 7.10 ERA over 83 2/3 innings. Walker has shown signs of improvement this spring, notably adding over three miles per hour to his four-seam fastball and refining his splitter.

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“His stuff’s better, flat out,” Thomson said of Walker, who is entering the third season of a four-year, $72 million deal. Walker is slated to start April 3 against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park.

Meanwhile, the Phillies continued to tweak their roster ahead of Opening Day. On Sunday, they claimed right-hander Carlos Hernández off waivers from the Kansas City Royals and designated righty Tyler Phillips for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Hernández, who boasts a fastball averaging nearly 98 mph, is expected to be used as a long reliever.

“He’s got a great arm,” Thomson said. “He’s pitched two innings multiple times in Spring Training. So he’s a two-inning guy.”

Despite his impressive raw stuff, Hernández has struggled with command, posting a 6.97 ERA in spring action and a career 11.3% walk rate. The Phillies now have just one more roster decision to finalize before flying to Philadelphia: choosing between Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy for the final bench spot. Both are out of options.

In terms of lineup construction, Thomson said he’s still evaluating his options and could alternate leadoff hitters based on matchups, with Trea Turner leading off against lefties and Kyle Schwarber against righties. The Phillies open the regular season Thursday in Washington, with ace Zack Wheeler set to take the mound against the Nationals.