Ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies’ road trip against the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson announced a shuffle of the starting pitcher rotation.
The Update
Ranger Suárez will start on Tuesday for the Phillies, opening up their series against the Astros. He will toe the rubber against fellow left-hander Framber Valdez. Zack Wheeler will then start game two on Wednesday against Colton Gordon.
When it comes to Zack Wheeler, there has been a focus this season on keeping the ace starting pitcher on a standard four days of rest as much as possible. Historically, he owns a 2.98 ERA on standard rest, increasing to 3.60 if he has an additional day off. The same trend remains constant looking just at 2025, with him owning a strong 2.32 ERA over five starts on normal rest. With five days of rest, it increases to 3.14.
Keeping Wheeler on four days of rest means two extra days of rest for Cristopher Sánchez. Sánchez will start on six days of rest on Thursday, a getaway day game against Hunter Brown. Sánchez has started on six-plus days of rest 18 times in his career, pitching a strong 3.22 ERA.
Mick Abel and Ranger Suárez will then slot into their typical slots on Friday and Saturday, respectively, as the Phillies open up their series in Atlanta.
The rationale
In addition to keeping Wheeler on normal rest, the move allows the Phillies to split their three left-handed pitchers in Suárez, Sánchez, and Luzardo. The trio had been slated back-to-back-to-back. Now, with Sánchez switching slots with Wheeler, the only time two left-handers will pitch back-to-back is when the rotation shifts from Luzardo to Suárez.
Despite some recent struggles, the Phillies’s starting rotation is still believed by many to be one of the best in Major League Baseball. Currently, the rotation owns a 3.50 ERA, seventh-best in the league, while also owning the most innings pitched (434.0) and strikeouts per nine (9.56) in the National League.
Rangel rejoins the fray
The Phillies also announced a move in their bullpen on Sunday. right-hander Michael Mercado was optioned back down to AAA Lehigh Valley in exchange for right-handed pitcher Alan Rangel.
Mercado pitched the eighth inning on Saturday for the Phillies, allowing three earned runs including a solo home run from Jared Young. He walked three batters on the inning. Rangel will rejoin the Phillies’ bullpen after making his Major League debut earlier in June, allowing two runs across three innings against the Pirates.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
