Phillies get crucial ammo to help fight off lingering free-fall

The Philadelphia Phillies haven't really looked like themselves as of late. They're 12-20 in the second half of the season, including losing four of their last five.

They look to be on the borderline of a mini collapse as the season inches closer to the end. Their next nine games include two against the Royals, three against the Astros and four against the Braves. If they're not careful, they run the risk of letting the Braves close the five-game lead in the NL East that the Phillies have worked so hard to hold onto.

But the Phillies won't roll over and die. They have reinforcements coming and they're coming at the perfect time to fill the team's biggest void.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Phillies reinstate Ranger Suarez from the IL at the perfect time

The Phillies have desperately missed Ranger Suarez since the lefty landed on the injured list about a month ago. He used this time to rest and recover from a nagging back injury that had been impacting his performance for a while.

Suarez has been reinstated from the injured list and is set to make his first start back against the Royals on Saturday night. The Phillies are wasting no time in throwing their southpaw star back into the fire, giving him a tough matchup with one of the top teams in the American League.

The Phillies really need Suarez to perform well, especially given how poorly Taijuan Walker has thrown at the back of the rotation. Philadelphia had the best starting pitching in the NL for most of the season, but injuries and Walker's struggles have really hindered that from being the case in the second half.

While the Phillies have looked to be in firm control of the NL East for nearly the entire season, things are beginning to look a little shaky, especially given their grueling stretch of nine games. They're going to need Suarez to return from the injured list in the same manner that he began the season. Philadelphia is counting on him.

And if there's anything that Ranger Suarez is known for, it's performing in the postseason and when the Phillies need him. They're going to need him over the next few months and he's finally healthy and ready to go.