Phillies injury updates on Ranger Suarez and Brandon Marsh – NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies were fortunate this season that even though frontcourt players like Trea Turner and Taijuan Walker were on the injured list, backups like Edmundo Sosa and Spencer Turnbull stepped in and performed well.

They were also fortunate that injuries that initially seemed potentially serious turned out to be relatively minor. Which means Rob Thomson was able to provide optimistic updates on left-hander Ranger Suarez and left-hander Brandon Marsh ahead of Tuesday night’s game.

Suarez, who was hit in the thumb of his pitching hand by a 106 mph line drive in his final start against the Cardinals on Saturday night, played catch in the outfield and will pitch for a bullpen on Wednesday.

“Then we’ll know,” the manager said. “It seems good so far. Thank goodness. Because it could have been really bad.”

Thomson did not rule out the possibility that Suarez, who is 9-1 with a 1.70 ERA, could be cleared for his next start before the team flies to London on Wednesday evening. “It just depends on how the bullpen works. If it’s really crisp, really clean, and looks normal, we can make the decision right away,” he said.

Marsh, who began reporting that he was injured as soon as he got to second after a double against the Cardinals on Sunday night, appeared to have only a slight hamstring strain. Asked if he could rate it on the standard scale of 1 to 4, Thomson smiled.

“Half, if there is such a thing,” he said. This creates the possibility that Marsh, who is on the 10-day injured list, could be activated as early as June 13 when the Phillies face the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Meanwhile, while there is no official timetable for Turner’s return, Thomson is optimistic. “I think we’re pretty close (to the original estimate of six weeks). He’s doing well,” the manager said.

That would mean Turner, who hit .343 when he strained his hamstring on May 3, could also rejoin the lineup in mid-June.

TIME WILL TELL US

When asked if he was re-evaluating the status of No. 5 starter Taijuan Walker, Rob Thomson hesitated. “We’re not there yet,” he said.

Why not? “Because I trust him.”

In seven starts this season, Walker has a 5.73 ERA. His last two outings have been particularly worrying. Opponents have hit .304 against him with an OPS of .887 and his ERA is 7.36. But he’s also in the second season of a four-year, $72 million contract.

Thomson said any decision will ultimately be based on performance. “Without a doubt,” he said. “But I trust him. He needs to command better. And I hope that along the way he gains velocity. We saw him speed up a few starts ago and now he’s coming back down. I’m sure that ‘He’ll get there, but he’s got to get the ball under control, he’s got to keep it down and he’s got to keep his spread down.’

Walker’s next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Mets in London.

FOLLOWING

RHP Aaron Nola (7-2, 3.03) will start Thursday’s series finale at 4:05 p.m. against the Brewers. Milwaukee, which used an opener in the first two games, did not announce its starter.