Phillies Round-Up: Suárez on COVID-19 battle, Phelps activated

It’s been a frustrating few months for Phillies left-handed reliever Ranger Suárez.

In March, he was on the verge of winning the fifth starter’s job in the Phillies rotation. After being diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly before the start of summer camp, Suárez finally returns to the active roster as a member of the bullpen.

Suárez spoke to the Philadelphia media for the first time this season via Phillies Spanish interpreter Diego Ettedgui. He expressed that his only symptoms were dizziness, but he had to take a month off from throwing as his test repeatedly came back positive.

“It was very inconvenient because the timing wasn’t good for me,” Suárez said via Ettedgui. “But I felt great. I didn’t have any symptoms or anything, but every time I took a test, it came back positive.”

During the downtime before his diagnosis, Suárez did work on a modified slider grip. He tried it out in Lehigh Valley and liked it.

As far as pitch count goes, Suárez has gone as high as 40 in simulated games. He could throw more than an inning out of the ‘pen, but he most likely won’t be an option for Joe Girardi out of the rotation when the Phillies play five doubleheaders in a two-week span.

David Phelps activated, Morgan to IL

The Phillies officially announced before Tuesday night’s game that they have activated RHP David Phelps. Phelps was acquired via trade on Monday from the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I feel like I can use David anywhere in the later innings,” Girardi said to the media just after the trade deadline. “That’s what he’s been used to and he’s done a really good job back there. He has a number of different weapons he can go to — his cutter, curveball, sinker, his elevated fastball — so I think I can do a lot of different things with David. It just gives me another option.”

To make room for Phelps, LHP Adam Morgan was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue.

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