BOSTON -- Plans for the return of lefty Ranger Suarez from the 15-day injured list have been fluid, and the latest is that he is eyeing a weekend return during a three-game series against the Blue Jays that starts Friday night.
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.
Then, there was talk he would start Game 2 of Wednesday’s day-night doubleheader. But after the 6-3 victory in Game 1 that stretched Boston’s winning streak to a franchise-record-tying 15 games, Tracy announced Eduardo Rivera would be pitching the nightcap. Brayan Bello can be utilized for bulk innings.
Suarez, who has been recovering from a left groin strain, developed some minor soreness after workouts on Sunday and Monday, and also became ill in recent days.
“Yeah, [it’s] more the illness,” Tracy said when asked why Suarez didn’t return Wednesday night. “The combination of that and coming off that, if he's weak, we don't want him out there, and it's just not appropriate yet. So hopefully, very soon after, we'll be able to have him, and we'll just keep checking in on him tomorrow with the off-day and see how he's feeling.”
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.