April 6 updates from Rob Thomson

Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Sunday afternoon, Citizens Bank Park is host to the closest one can get to a playoff atmosphere during the first week of April as the Phillies look to win their series against the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to the game, an overcast sky held off the impending rain just long enough for Philadelphia’s manager, Rob Thomson, to join the media in the dugout ahead of the series finale.

Among his updates were key updates with new information for his team’s injured stars: Andrew Painter, Ranger Suárez, and Weston Wilson. Let’s get into the latest news on the Phillies’ pending returns.

Andrew Painter

Painter has not made his major league debut as of yet, but people both inside and outside the organization are awaiting his arrival with bated breath. The No. 7 prospect on MLB.com’s top 100 prospect rankings has been out of competitive action since undergoing Tommy John surgery back on July 25, 2023. The organization is hopeful he will be ready to return this summer and fully intends for his workload to help the major league club. Thomson provided the following updates to the media prior to Sunday’s contest:

“Paitner came through fine. He will start a rehab assignment in Clearwater on Friday,” Thomson said. “Health is the biggest concern. If he gets through it and he’s throwing strikes – I mean the stuff is there.”

During the off-season, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski gave a timetable of “July-ish” for when fans might see the top Phillies prospect. Thomson said they plan on being conservative with him, and that even Painter throws with great success in the minors, that timeline is unlikely to move up. Topper added that the current plan is for him to pitch once a week in the minors for now.

Ranger Suárez

The crafty lefty started the season on the 15-day injured list with low back stiffness. This comes after Suárez missed nearly a month last summer with a similar issue. Thomson provided some updates on his left-handed starter:

Ranger was still a day out, so if he’s good after tomorrow he’ll probably do a sim game on Thursday in Clearwater,” Thomson said. “Just watching his BP yesterday it was pretty good. Commanded the baseball, especially in the first inning. Not as well, but still good in the 2nd inning. Threw all his pitches, velocity was good, so keep moving forward.“

Suárez’s status is interesting to watch. Taijuan Walker has pitched well in his only start of the season. If that continues, and Painter is on the right track – Philly could opt to use him as a swingman in what would be his contract year – although there’s been no indication of that. With his experience pitching out of the pen and no guarantee he will return to the club next season, they may opt to use him in a way that is most beneficial to this year’s club, and what that means will depend on when he is ready.

Weston Wilson

Wilson suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in spring while taking a swing in the batting cage at BayCare Ballpark. He was given an initial timetable of six weeks of recovery, but the utility man started the year on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to March 24).

Thomson told reporters pregame that Wilson “came through fine,” and the current plan is for him to begin a rehab assignment in Clearwater this coming Tuesday. When he is ready, he will likely take Kody Clemens‘s spot.

We will keep you updated here at Philly Sports Network as all these players progress toward their 2025 season debuts.