Ranger Suárez exits start with left hand contusion

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies are assured they dodged a bullet with Ranger Suárez’s harm scare on Saturday evening.

Struck by a 106.1 mph line drive on his pitching hand, the all the time unflappable Suárez rapidly recovered, picked up the ball and lobbed a throw to first for the ultimate out of the highest of the second inning within the Phillies’ 6-1 win over the Cardinals at Residents Financial institution Park.

Then, all consideration turned to Suárez’s pitching hand.

Off to among the finest begins to a season in Main League historical past, the left-hander winced in ache and lined his face together with his glove as he walked slowly again to the dugout. Suárez then retreated down the dugout steps with assistant athletic coach Joe Rauch — and didn’t return for the third inning.

Suárez was identified with a left hand contusion. X-rays had been detrimental.

“The ball hit me near my thumb, however fortunately, it did not catch any bone,” Suárez mentioned through interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “So every part’s good on that finish. Clearly, it was a tough liner towards me, however as quickly as I felt the ball hit me, I knew that every part was going to be OK.”

Added supervisor Rob Thomson: “I really feel fairly fortunate proper now.”

Nonetheless, the Phillies will wait to see if the swelling subsides over the subsequent couple of days earlier than making a choice about his subsequent begin, which might tentatively come subsequent Saturday in London.

Suárez’s early departure put an abrupt damper on an evening that featured yet one more quick begin by the crew with the perfect document in baseball. The Phillies (41-18) jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead in opposition to Cardinals ace Sonny Grey, because of an Alec Bohm two-run double and an RBI single by Nick Castellanos. Philadelphia leads the Majors in each runs scored (48) and run differential (+30) within the opening body.

However the buzz from the sellout crowd of 44,668 rapidly dissipated when Playing cards left fielder Alec Burleson ripped a comebacker off Suárez to finish the highest of the second. Suárez struck out two batters over two hitless and scoreless innings previous to exiting, reducing his season ERA to 1.70 to go together with a 9-1 document and 79 strikeouts.

Suárez is simply the eighth pitcher since earned runs began being tracked in 1913 to rack up at the least 9 wins, 75-plus strikeouts and a 1.70 ERA or higher in his first 12 outings of a season. The others: Ubaldo Jiménez (2010), Pedro Martinez (2000 and 1997), Randy Johnson (2000), Roger Clemens (1997 and 1992), Greg Maddux (1994), Vida Blue (1971) and Sandy Koufax (1966).

For sure, changing Suárez wouldn’t be a straightforward job if he must miss any time.

The silver lining, nevertheless, is the timing.

With the London Sequence subsequent weekend, the Phillies are off for 3 of the subsequent 9 days. They’re idle Thursday and Friday forward of their two-game worldwide set vs. the Mets, in addition to the next Monday.

The tentative plan was to have Suárez pitch in London on Saturday and Taijuan Walker on Sunday.

“[Suárez] will get some further days if he could make the beginning, and if not, that is advantageous, too,” Thomson mentioned. “We’ll determine it out, however we will deal with him and ensure that does not flip into one thing else.”

One various can be to begin Spencer Turnbull in Suárez’s place. Turnbull, who thrived whereas filling in for Walker earlier this season, struck out six over three hitless innings of reduction in opposition to the Cardinals.

“Turnbull actually picked us up tonight,” Thomson mentioned. ” … If he does need to make Ranger’s begin, I’m snug with him at 80 pitches, 5 [innings] — one thing like that.”

Just one pitcher within the Majors has made greater than 5 begins and posted a greater ERA in these outings than Suárez’s 1.70 mark this season — and that is Turnbull. He put up a 1.67 ERA over six begins to start the season earlier than transferring to the bullpen across the time of Walker’s return from the injured record.

“Now we have a man in our bullpen that might most likely be a starter in lots of rotations proper now,” mentioned Bryce Harper, who supplied some insurance coverage with a two-run homer within the seventh. “Bull’s been doing an important job for us and type of simply acquired the quick finish of the stick, proper? He did such an important job for us earlier this season.”

After all, all of these plans are contingent on Suárez’s standing within the coming days.

“It’s all good,” Suárez mentioned. “I simply need to thank God on this one for being OK.”