Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres reliever Robert Suarez is expected to begin the 2023 campaign on the injured list with arm stiffness and joint inflammation. An MRI revealed no structural damage, but the right-hander has remained shut down since March 12 nonetheless. A timetable for his return is currently unknown, though Acee notes that Suarez could resume throwing soon. If Suarez opens the season on the IL, he would first be eligible to return on April 7.
Suarez, who made his major league debut last season at the age of 31 following a lengthy run in Japan’s NPB, dominated to the tune of a 2.27 ERA (166 ERA+) and 3.22 FIP in 47 2/3 innings with the Padres last year. Following the 2022 season, Suarez re-upped with San Diego on a five-year, $46MM deal deal and entered the spring as the top option to set-up for closer Josh Hader. With Suarez likely starting the season on the IL, Luis Garcia and Tim Hill seem likely to see work in the late innings until Suarez and left-hander Drew Pomeranz are ready to return from injury.
With Suarez, Pomeranz, Jose Castillo and Adrian Morejon all set to start the season on the injured list, the door is wide open for San Diego’s pitching depth to make the roster, as Acee notes that in addition to one of Julio Teheran, Jay Groome, Ryan Weathers, or Brent Honeywell making the team as the sixth starter while Joe Musgrove recovers from a fractured toe, as many as two more of the aforementioned names could be rostered to open the season as long men out of the bullpen, as the number of pitching injuries plaguing the Padres leave plenty of innings to cover. Michel Baez and Jose Lopez are among other options who could stand to benefit from the available innings.
Without a clear picture of how much time Suarez will miss, it’s hard to say how much this injury will impact the Padres, who figure to lock horns with the Dodgers as frontrunners for the NL West this season. While injuries have tested San Diego’s pitching depth this spring, LA has struggled with injuries of its own, losing Gavin Lux for the season to a torn ACL while also expecting to start the season without right-hander Tony Gonsolin.
45 m lolllll
When he gets back from TJ he will have a great year in 2025, opt out, and they will give him another 45m.
*For all the Karen’s it’s called a joke and playing to the crowd gmoney2850. I am not wishing or even suggesting he needs TJ
What is a male karen called?
Randy
ty
Chad
Under the impression chad was a white guy tool, that was allowed to be a HS dbag throughout college and was ripe for a RL come-uppance .
To clarify….am a white GenX college grad myself, so have met “oodles” of chads…..
E.Diaz 105mil!? Lol out for season celebrating
Drew Pomeranz is *not* an option and will never be. Why do the writers keep mentioning him as a potential anything.
What else does your almanac say, Biff?
Pomeranz threw a bullpen session today and is expected to return as early as April 7th.
cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/padres-drew-po…
twitter.com/AJCassavell/status/1639686112859017217
Which means he will start the season on the IL like Suarez?
Great job committing 10 million for 5 years to a 30 year old reliever with one good year!
Yeah, it sounds more rational to judge a 5 year contract before the first month of the first year when you put it that way… e.e
Most big reliever contracts end going poorly most the best relievers are arb/pre-arb guys
Do you have any facts to back up that assertion? I would settle for a fully formed sentence in English.
The Pads always find a way to put a good pen together. They’ve developed some diamonds in the rough for sure. They’ll be fine.
Their secret is spending 300 million dollars and destroying their farm system.
What an apt, unique and creative dig on the Padres! Go get ‘em, bud!
you NEVER have Enough Pitching. You have Martinez as Back Up. It is along Season, don’t jump off bridge yet.
Dude got paid for a really hot week in October
Really ignorant and uninformed comment.
“Dude” had 13 straight scoreless appearances in September and October to close out the regular season. He gave up only 6 hits and struck out 21 in that month plus. He was the best reliever in baseball down the stretch.
You Merikkkans hate when people get paid. They took our jobs. Yes, we did.
Oh, I’m Sorry, I Thought This Was America
“I’ll give you crew cut!!!”
The takes on this site get weirder and weirder by the day.
DarkSide – Two words for you: “South Park”
Hader, Garcia, Hill, and Wilson can close out the games. It might be good for the Padres to have more multiple- inning guys in the pen to start the year.
Suarez will be ready soon enough.
I hope the Friars stay on the lookout for more pitching. With opt-outs and releases happening now, and in the coming days, it’ll do them well to keep piling up arms…
Seems like this theme should be playing
youtu.be/v605dDOO-Dw
Padres do not have enough depth in their starting pitching
They probably need to pick up another starter and another bullpen arm or 2.
The Padres could probably use another CF who can also hit better.