Phillies’ need for starting pitching could bring Ranger Suárez back sooner than expected

LOS ANGELES — In a perfect world, the Phillies would prefer that Ranger Suárez throw at least 90 pitches in a minor league game before rejoining the starting rotation.

Alas, it’s not a perfect world.

Taijuan Walker and Bailey Falter are struggling. Reliever-turned-starter Matt Strahm’s velocity was down Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in his sixth turn through the rotation. There isn’t much depth at triple A.

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So, Suárez is lined up for 70-75 pitches Sunday in Syracuse, N.Y., for triple-A Lehigh Valley, the third start in his comeback from a spring-training elbow strain.

And beyond that?

“If he comes out of that pretty good, or good, then we’ll have to replan here,” manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday before the Phillies wrapped up their series in Los Angeles.

Initially, Thomson said Suárez might get a fourth tune-up in the minors, the likelihood of which seemed to increase after a rain delay limited him to 27 pitches Tuesday night for Lehigh Valley. (Suárez did throw another 27 pitches in the bullpen.)

But Walker has had uncharacteristic control issues. Through six starts, his walk rate has skyrocketed to 13.2%, nearly double last year with the Mets (6.9%) and well above his career mark (7.7%). He allowed three homers and three walks in 3⅓ innings Monday night against the Dodgers.

And although the Phillies insist Walker is healthy, he did leave a start last week with forearm tightness.

Falter, meanwhile, is 0-5 with a 5.01 ERA and has given up 25 hits and seven walks in his last 22 innings. He struggled last season to come up with a pitch to consistently get out right-handed hitters. This year, lefties actually are hitting .389/.421/.611 against him.

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The Phillies moved Strahm to the rotation three-quarters of the way through spring training because of injuries to Suárez, prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter, and depth starters Cristopher Sánchez and Nick Nelson. Strahm has pitched well, allowing three runs or less in all but one of his starts.

But Strahm hasn’t pitched more than 45 innings in a season since 2019. The Phillies signed him as a leverage reliever in the middle and late innings. Thomson said Tuesday that he fears that keeping Strahm in the rotation much longer would be a health risk.

Thomson noted that Strahm’s average velocity against the Dodgers was down a notch to 92 mph from 92.9 mph in his previous starts. Strahm pinpointed a lack of feel for his cutter as the major source of trouble for him. He threw only eight cutters in the game.

“The cutter kind of makes me who I am,” Strahm said. “My body, everything feels good. Like I said, it’s just, the cutter is me. It makes them respect a lot of other things that I do.”

With days off Thursday and next Monday and Thursday, the Phillies could skip Strahm in his next turn through the rotation. They won’t need a fifth starter until May 16 in San Francisco. But Thomson said nothing will be decided until after they speak with Strahm.

Suárez’s progress could impact the plan, too.

“The most important thing is to be healthy,” Suárez said through a team interpreter last week before heading to the minors. “I want to feel healthy. I think that the more innings I throw, the better it’s going to be for me because I’m going to be more ready.”

Ready or not, Suárez could return sooner than expected.

Roger Clemens won 354 games and seven Cy Young awards. He’s arguably the best pitcher of his generation.

Somehow, though, his youngest son — an infielder, no less — achieved a pitching feat that the senior Clemons never did.

Back-to-back blowouts Monday and Tuesday nights prompted the Phillies to use Kody Clemens in the eighth inning of both games. In a decorated 24-year career, Roger Clemens never pitched on back-to-back days.

It was an ignominious milestone, to be certain, for the younger Clemens, who faced eight batters in the two games and gave up one run on three hits and two walks. His repertoire consists mainly of eephus pitches clocked in the 50-55 mph range.

“He knows how to do it,” Thomson said. “He flips the ball in there. He says he’s got the loop ball, and he’s got a little ‘air cutter.’”

Nelson (hamstring) is scheduled to start again Sunday for double-A Reading. Once Nelson’s 30-day rehab assignment expires in mid-May, Thomson said the Phillies may choose to option him to triple A to keep him stretched out as a starter. ... Low-A Clearwater outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. (.268/.409/.521, four homers, 13 stolen bases) was named Phillies minor league player of the month. Clearwater right-hander Orion Kerkering (seven scoreless relief appearances, 13 strikeouts) was tabbed as the top pitcher in April. ... After a day off, the Phillies will open a three-game series Friday night at home against the Red Sox. Zack Wheeler (3-1, 3.86 ERA) is expected to face Boston lefty Chris Sale (2-2, 6.75).