Poised to return from IL, Suarez pushed back due to 'moderate soreness'

BOSTON -- Plans for the return of lefty Ranger Suarez from the 15-day injured list have been fluid, and the latest is that he might return for Game 2 of Wednesday’s day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.

Following Monday’s 6-5 thriller over the Orioles that stretched the team’s winning streak to 14 games, interim manager Chad Tracy said that Suarez would start on Tuesday.

But he was scratched from that outing even before the announced postponement due to rain.

“Nothing major,” Tracy said. “Just a little bit of moderate soreness just from all the work over the last couple of days. Also, he wasn't feeling very well. A little under the weather on top of it. So between those two things combined, having him go out there and be activated [had there been a game Tuesday] didn't make any sense.”

If Suarez can’t go on Wednesday, Boston could give the ball to lefty Eduardo Rivera, who was slated to pitch in Suarez’s place on Tuesday. But the Red Sox will wait to see how they get through Game 1 and gauge Suarez’s health before making a decision about a Game 2 starter.

Suarez suffered the injury in a start on July 5 in Anaheim, one day after he was selected as an All-Star for the second time in his career.

The lefty wound up not even making the trip to Philadelphia for the festivities so he could get as much treatment as possible in Boston to minimize his stay on the injured list.

Signed to a five-year, $130 million contract to come to the Red Sox as a free agent in January, Suarez is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts.

Once he returns, Suarez will reclaim his place in a rotation that has been one of the best in MLB all season, even though ace Garrett Crochet hasn’t pitched since April 25 due to left shoulder woes.