Ranger Suarez’ return, Taijuan Walker’s struggles and more Phillies pitching notes
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ offense is heating up and challenged Matt Strahm Tuesday night in his worst start of the young season.
Strahm entered with a 2.79 ERA and had struck out 32 in 23 innings while allowing only 12 hits. The Dodgers scored in three of four innings against him and he was lifted after 3 innings and 73 laborious pitches.
The Dodgers have ripped Phillies pitching in the first two games of the series, both non-competitive Phillies losses. Strahm, Taijuan Walker, Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel have all been hit around.
Strahm has been “heaven-sent,” for the Phillies’ rotation, in the words of manager Rob Thomson. But with Ranger Suarez returning in two weeks, he will shift back to the bullpen as a Swiss army knife capable of pitching multiple innings and at the back end of games in addition to lefty-lefty matchups.
Suarez made his second rehab start Tuesday with Triple A Lehigh Valley. Rain shortened his outing but he finished in the bullpen, throwing 54 pitches in total. He will have two more starts during his rehab assignment, which lines him up to return either in San Francisco or at home against the Cubs the third week of May.
Many Phillies fans have questioned why it will be Strahm and not Bailey Falter (0-5, 5.01 ERA) losing his rotation spot and there are two major reasons why.
For one, it would be irresponsible for any team to triple the workload of a reliever thrust into starting duty. Strahm pitched 45 innings last year, and though he had his first healthy offseason since prior to tearing his patellar tendon in 2017, a lot could go wrong if that number jumps by 80.
Beyond that, it has to be viewed through the totality of the pitching staff, not just the starting rotation. Strahm has the skill set and stamina to help the bullpen in multiple roles. If Falter lost his rotation spot, he’d either go to Triple A to start or be the Phillies’ long reliever, which doesn’t provide nearly as much value. And the idea is that Suarez, who has a 2.91 ERA in 41 starts the last two seasons, can replicate or exceed Strahm’s production as a five-inning starter.
More pitching news
Walker was pounded by the Dodgers for eight runs in Monday’s series-opening loss but did not blame the struggles on the forearm tightness he felt in his previous start.
Walker has walked multiple batters in all six starts as a Phillie and 17 total in just 28 innings. He’s attributed it to “getting too cute,” falling behind in too many counts and not trusting his stuff in the strike zone.
Walker has a 6.91 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. The Phillies are 3-3 in his starts.
Reliever Andrew Bellatti, a key piece of the 2022 Phillies’ bullpen who struggled the first three weeks this season before landing on the IL on April 21 with right triceps tendinitis, threw batting practice Tuesday.
“He threw very well, 25 pitches, 21 strikes,” Thomsons said. “He’ll throw in Clearwater Friday and Sunday and then will go to Lehigh for a rehab assignment. So he’s doing well.”
Nick Nelson (hamstring) didn’t allow an earned run over five innings Tuesday with Double A Reading, striking out six.
