Philadelphia Phillies Pitching Coach Believes Ace's Injury Might Be 'Blessing'

There was some panic when one of the Philadelphia Phillies star pitchers went down with an injury, but their pitching coach believes it actually might have been a good thing.

May 10, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) looks on against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at loanDepot Park / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies dropped another frustrating game on Tuesday.

Facing their depleted archrival Atlanta Braves in a three-game series that could either result in an almost insurmountable separation in the divisional standings with a decisive victory, things could also get uncomfortably tight if the Phillies flounder like they have been since the All-Star break.

In Game 1 of this matchup, it was the latter of these scenarios that was on display.

Despite a very solid outing from their ace Zack Wheeler where he allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts across six innings pitched, the Phillies dropped the contest 3-1 after their bats were completely shut down.

That happens over the course of a long season that Major League Baseball presents, but when considering how Philadelphia has played in the second half of the year, it's yet another example of how this team could meet an untimely elimination in the playoffs.

As they try to figure out a way to find consistency, the Phillies are expecting to get back one of their star pitchers from the injured list this weekend.

Ranger Suarez has been on the 15-day IL since July 27 with lower back soreness that was retroactive to July 24. He was a bonafide National League Cy Young contender during the early part of the year when he held a 2.27 ERA through the month of June.

But prior to being placed on the injured list, his ERA was at 6.61 following his three July starts that earned him an 0-3 record and saw opponents batting .279 against him as he gave up 19 hits across 16.1 innings pitched.

There was some underlying concern that Suarez might be overworked as he was on pace to set his career highs in innings, starts, and pitches thrown.

That's why Philadelphia's pitching coach, Caleb Cotham, thinks the left-hander's stint on the IL might have actually been a positive.

"The downtime is probably a blessing. He's looked unbelievable ... A little bit of rest to reset is probably a good thing for when we're going to hit the gas. We got to go. And he's a huge part of why we're here and if we're going to do what we want to do," he told Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

Suarez has been incredible for the Phillies in the playoffs.

He's posted a career 1.62 ERA across his seven starts and nine appearances, holding opponents to a .180 batting average with 32 strikeouts across 33.1 innings pitched.

For Philadelphia to win a World Series title, they'll need the emerging star to be at the top of his game when the playoffs arrive.

Hopefully Cotham is right and this time away allowed Suarez to recover and find his past form.

If that's the case, then the Phillies will have the three-headed monster in the postseason they've had during their past two deep playoff runs.