He’s made four minor-league rehab starts already. Now it’s about whether he needs a fifth, or if he’s ready to jump back into the Phillies’ rotation — a spot currently being held down by Taijuan Walker. According to manager Rob Thomson, the club won’t rush it, but Suárez doesn’t appear far off.
Brandon Marsh and the Hamstring Shuffle
It looked like Brandon Marsh was rounding the corner in his rehab from a right hamstring strain — until the cramps showed up. Marsh, who hasn’t played since tweaking his leg chasing down a fly in center against the Giants on April 16, was pulled early from his fourth rehab game this past weekend after just two at-bats.
The Phillies said it was precautionary. He’s since been evaluated and could resume his assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley soon if cleared. In the meantime, Cal Stevenson remains on the big-league roster.
Andrew Painter Watch: Clearwater, Not Lehigh
Andrew Painter is still tracking for that “July-ish” big-league debut that Dave Dombrowski teased back in the winter. But it won’t happen in Allentown — not yet.
After a little confusion this week, manager Rob Thomson clarified that Painter will stay in Clearwater for his next outing, rather than advancing to Triple-A. That start is set for Thursday, with Painter expected to throw around 60 pitches or last four innings — whichever comes first.
The 22-year-old has surrendered two runs over 7 1/3 innings this year with Clearwater. He's whiffed 10 and appears to be bouncing back well from Tommy John surgery.
The Original .400 Club Gets Its Due
On May 1 — the 142nd anniversary of the first Phillies game — the club will do something long overdue. It’s adding the names (and era-specific uniform insignias) of Ed Delahanty, Billy Hamilton, and Sam Thompson to its display of retired numbers above Ashburn Alley.
No, they didn’t wear numbers. But they wore out pitchers.
Together, the trio formed what is still the only outfield in big-league history where every member hit .400 in a season — and they did it all in the same year (1894). They didn’t just dominate, they obliterated the league average. From 1892–1895, they out-hit the league by an unfathomable 92 to 97 points. Think about that.
Delahanty: First player to hit .400 three times. Eighth-best career batting average ever.
Hamilton: Holds the all-time record for runs per game (1.06) and scored 198 runs in just 132 games in 1894.
Thompson: Still owns the highest RBI-per-game totals for both a season (1.42) and a month (61 in August 1895). Also the best career mark for RBIs per game (0.923).
Their names may predate jerseys with numbers, but starting Thursday, they’ll officially join the pantheon at Citizens Bank Park — etched into team history in bronze and brick.
