The Phillies brain trust made the decision to transfer Ranger Suárez to the starting rotation on the morning of July 31. At that point, the Phillies had 59 games remaining in the 2021 season.
So when Suárez took the mound as a starting pitcher on August 2 — his first major league start since 2018 — it was almost as if he was getting the chance play the 2020 season all over again.
In February of 2020 Ranger Suárez was considered a serious contender for the fifth spot in the Phillies rotation. Then, he tested positive for COVID-19.