Phillies activate Ranger Suárez, demote lefty reliever in pitching staff shuffle

Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place for the Philadelphia Phillies. On Saturday, in a move that had been expected all week, the team announced that starting pitcher Ranger Suárez has been activated from the 15-day IL, finally. He will start for the Phillies against the Kansas City Royals in the second game of their series tonight.

Suárez had been on the IL since July 27 (retroactive to July 24) with lower back soreness. It was an ailment that plagued him through July and affected his performance in his three starts, at least we hope that was the problem. The Phillies thought they were out of the woods after he skipped the All-Star Game, something he wouldn't do lightly, as it would have been his first chance to pitch in the Midsummer Classic.

Phillies activate Ranger Suárez, demote lefty reliever Tyler Gilbert in pitching staff shuffle

In the corresponding roster move to make room for Suárez, the Phillies have optioned left-hander Tyle Gilbert back to Triple-A. Gilbert, who was originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Phillies in 2015, was reacquired earlier this season and has been impressive for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

The 30-year-old was added to the roster when Tyler Phillips was optioned and was intended as a multi-inning reliever for this week. After he sat in the bullpen all week, the Phillies, unfortunately, needed Gilbert's services on Friday night in Kansas City after Taijuan Walker's implosion. In his long-awaited Phillies debut, Gilbert threw two innings against the Royals, throwing 42 pitches, with 28 going for strikes. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

Phillies looking for a return to form from Ranger Suárez

After a dominant start to the season, things started to go awry for Suárez at the end of June when he gave up six runs to the Miami Marlins. Including that June 30 outing, he carried an 0-3 record with a 7.71 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in his four starts before finally hitting the injured list.

Before that, Suárez had gone 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 16 starts. The Phillies will be hoping that their first-time All-Star lefty is back to form for the stretch run. Even if he's not, they need him to be good enough to help right the ship as they look to go into the postseason with some momentum after their second-half struggles.