Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Replaced in Last-Minute Change

The Philadelphia Phillies will have eight All-Stars but one won’t make the trip after a decision on Saturday.

Jul 6, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suárez had every intention of participating in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. But, on Saturday, he was replaced.

Major League Baseball announced that Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried would replace Suárez on the roster. It wasn’t immediately clear why. The Phillies had not released any information about his status after MLB released the information about his replacement.

Suárez would have had three days rest had he gone to the All-Star Game.

He pitched on Friday night against Oakland but averaged a career-low 90 mph with his fastball, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. While the left-hander has at times been the Phillies’ best starter, he has experienced a downturn as he enters the All-Star Break, having allowed 15 earned runs in his last 14.2 innings.

He is now 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA. But Philadelphia is also mindful of the fact that he’s thrown 114 innings this season. He threw 125 innings a season ago and missed time with an injury in the second half of the season.

He remains a selected All-Star, one of eight Phillies selected to the team. Starters include Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm — who will participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday — and Trea Turner. Pitchers include Zack Wheeler, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman. Starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez was selected on Saturday to replace Atlanta’s Chris Sale.

No team has had five pitchers selected to the All-Star Game.

Even with the downturn, Suárez has had an incredible year. He’s already matched his career-best for victories in a season. Earlier this year he did something that few pitchers in MLB history had done.

After his first 10 starts he was 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA. He was the first pitcher in MLB with a 9-0 start and an ERA that low in 58 years.

His ERA after 10 starts was also the lowest for a Phillies starter since Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Alexander is a Baseball Hall of Famer who started his career in Philadelphia in 1911 and pitched 20 years, winning the pitching triple crown three times and finishing his career with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Before that, Suárez won each of his first eight starts, which per OptaStats made him 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 pitched in baseball’s dead ball area, like Alexander, in the Baseball Hall of Fame — Christy Mathewson in 1901, Addie Joss in 1907 and Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown in 1908.