Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suárez had every intention of participating in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, but on Saturday, he was replaced by Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried. The reason for the change was not immediately clear, as the Phillies had not released any information about Suárez’s status following Major League Baseball‘s announcement.
Suárez, who pitched on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics, was set to have three days of rest before the All-Star Game. However, during that outing, he averaged a career-low 90 mph with his fastball, as reported by NBC Sports Philadelphia. This dip in velocity coincides with a recent downturn in his performance. Despite being one of the Phillies’ best starters at times, Suárez has allowed 15 earned runs in his last 14.2 innings.
Currently, Suárez holds a 10-4 record with a 2.76 ERA. Philadelphia is also conscious of the fact that he’s thrown 114 innings this season, just 11 innings shy of his total from last season, which was interrupted by an injury in the second half.
Even though he won’t participate in the All-Star Game, Suárez remains one of eight Phillies selected for the team. The All-Star starters include Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and Trea Turner, with Bohm also participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby. Pitchers Zack Wheeler, Matt Strahm, and Jeff Hoffman were also selected. Additionally, starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez was chosen on Saturday to replace Atlanta’s Chris Sale, making the Phillies the first team to have five pitchers selected for the All-Star Game.
Despite his recent struggles, Suárez has had a remarkable year. He has already matched his career-best for victories in a season and earlier this year achieved a historic milestone. After his first 10 starts, he was 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA, making him the first pitcher in MLB with such a record and ERA since 1965. His ERA after 10 starts was also the lowest for a Phillies starter since Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Baseball Hall of Famer who started his career in Philadelphia in 1911.
Moreover, Suárez won each of his first eight starts this season, becoming the fourth pitcher in MLB history since 1901 to have a WHIP of 0.72 or less in their first eight starts, all of which were wins. The other three pitchers to achieve this feat, Christy Mathewson, Addie Joss, and Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, all played during baseball’s dead-ball era and are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Suárez’s exceptional performances earlier in the season highlight his potential and the significant role he plays in the Phillies’ pitching rotation. Despite his absence from the All-Star Game, his contributions to the team remain invaluable as they look ahead to the second half of the season.
