The Padres reinstated Suarez (suspension) from the restricted list Monday.
Suarez will rejoin the Padres for the start of their three-game series in Los Angeles that begins Monday after he completed a 10-game suspension for allegedly using a foreign substance during an Aug. 21 relief appearance. The setup man holds a 5.51 ERA and 13:5 K:BB over 16.1 innings for the Padres this season.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Begins serving suspension
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Padres manager Bob Melvin said Suarez has dropped the appeal of his 10-game suspension and will begin serving it Thursday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Major League Baseball handed Suarez the 10-game punishment last week for allegedly having a foreign substance on his arm as he prepared to make a relief appearance against the Marlins. He will be unavailable for a string of crucial series versus the Giants, Phillies and Astros.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Hit with suspension, will appeal
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Suarez was suspended 10 games Friday for the alleged use of foreign substances on the mound during Wednesday's win over Miami, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Suarez will appeal the decision and remain active until the appeal is heard. The 32-year-old reliever was ejected prior to appearing in the eighth inning of Wednesday's contest after umpires determined his left arm was too sticky. Suarez has been adamant that what the umpires found was just sunscreen.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Pitches scoreless frame in return
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Suarez notched a hold against the Tigers on Friday by pitching one perfect inning.
Suarez made his season debut after a prolonged absence due to an elbow injury. San Diego manager Bob Melvin didn't hesitate to immediately deploy him in a high-leverage situation, bringing the right-hander in to protect a one-run eighth-inning lead. Suarez didn't show any signs of rust, retiring the side in order on 11 pitches. It appears the Padres may slot Suarez into a setup role immediately as they seek to make up ground in the wild-card race.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Activated Thursday
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Suarez (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list prior to Thursday's game in Toronto.
The 32-year-old righty gave up six earned runs in five innings with more walks (five) than strikeouts (four) during his rehab assignment. Suarez could eventually start working in a setup role, but he will probably be eased back in low-leverage situations.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Could be activated Thursday
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Padres manager Bob Melvin said Suarez (elbow) could be activated from the 60-day injured list Thursday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Suarez has joined the Padres in Toronto and might finally be ready to be a contributor out of the bullpen. The 32-year-old right-hander re-upped with San Diego on a five-year, $46 million contract over the winter, but he missed the entire first half while recovering from a severe case of elbow inflammation.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Advances rehab to Triple-A
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Suarez (elbow) shifted his rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday and allowed one run on one hit and one walk while failing to strike out a batter in his lone inning of work.
Suarez, who has been on the shelf all season while recovering from an elbow injury, was making his fifth rehab appearance overall but his first at El Paso after prior stints in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and with Single-A Lake Elsinore. According to 97.3 The Fan San Diego, Padres manager Bob Melvin said Sunday that Suarez checked out "OK" following the rehab outing at El Paso, but the skipper noted that the reliever will "probably" require one more appearance in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list. Once he's reinstated, Suarez will likely settle in as a key setup man in front of closer Josh Hader.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Makes second rehab appearance
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Suarez (elbow) appeared in his second rehab game with the Arizona Complex League Padres on Tuesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning.
Suarez logged his first rehab outing of the season for the ACL club Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over one inning. His second appearance wasn't as smooth, though it's a positive sign that he's pitched twice in four days after missing the first three-plus months of the season due right elbow inflammation. Per MLB.com, Suarez is next expected to move his rehab stint to Triple-A El Paso on July 7. The Padres are hopeful that the righty reliever can return to the big-league bullpen sometime after the All-Star break.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Could face hitters soon
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Suarez (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday and could face hitters "imminently," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Suarez has yet to play this season after experiencing arm stiffness and elbow inflammation in mid-March during spring training. However, he's tossed multiple bullpens over the past few weeks and now appears set to take the next step in his recovery. Suarez will almost certainly require a minor-league rehab stint before joining the San Diego bullpen, but he could return in the first half of July.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Set for another side session
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Padres manager Bob Melvin said this weekend that Suarez (elbow) will throw another bullpen session in the coming days but remains without a definitive timeline for a return from the 60-day injured list, 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.
Suarez has been on the shelf all season with right elbow inflammation, but the reliever reached a major milestone in his recovery Friday, when he threw what Melvin said was a 26- or 27-pitch bullpen session that incorporated his full arsenal. Melvin acknowledged that the right-hander is on a similar buildup progression to a pitcher in the early stages of spring training, so Suarez will presumably need at least two or three weeks' worth of bullpen work, live sessions and minor-league rehab games before he's deemed fit to rejoin the San Diego bullpen. The 32-year-old was a key setup arm for the Padres as a rookie in 2022, making 45 appearances while logging a 2.27 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 61:21 K:BB in 47.2 innings while notching five wins, 12 holds and one save.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Tosses bullpen session
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Suarez (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, per MLB.com.
This is a significant step toward a return for Suarez, who has yet to pitch this season as a result of right elbow inflammation that first occurred during spring training. The right-hander is likely still weeks away from a return, and it is unclear when he may be able to begin a rehab assignment.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Set for full bullpen session
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Suarez (elbow) is scheduled to throw a full bullpen session Friday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Suarez has already thrown off the mound a couple of times, but the catcher was positioned in front of the plate during those workouts. He's now ready to take things to the next level in his ongoing recovery from lingering stiffness and inflammation in his right elbow. Re-signed to a five-year, $46 million contract this offseason, the 32-year-old setup man could finally be a contributor for the Padres around the end of June.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Moved to 60-day IL
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Suarez (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Suarez was placed on the 15-day IL toward the end of March, and he was recently shut down from throwing after experiencing tightness in his right elbow while playing catch. There's still no details on when the Padres plan to have him get back to throwing, but he will certainly be out for much longer than originally expected.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Shut down from throwing
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Suarez (elbow) has been shut down from throwing after experiencing tightness in his right elbow while playing catch, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Suarez was placed on the 15-day IL on March 30 due to stiffness and inflammation in his right elbow. He began playing catch April 1 but is no longer throwing due to the setback. The right-hander had an MRI that revealed no ligament damage in the tight elbow, but it's uncertain when he'll be able to resume throwing. Suarez is unlikely to rejoin the Padres bullpen until at least May.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Placed on 15-day IL
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Suarez (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to March 27.
Suarez developed some arm stiffness and right elbow inflammation around the middle of spring camp, and it's not exactly clear when he might be able to make his 2023 debut. The right-hander landed a five-year, $46 million contract from the Padres in November and will operate in a prominent setup role whenever he's back to full health.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Back with San Diego
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Suarez agreed to a five-year, $46 million contract with the Padres on Thursday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
The right-hander recently declined his $5 million player option for 2023 to become a free agent, but he quickly reached a new deal with the Friars. Suarez, once he recovered from a knee injury, pitched well in the late innings for San Diego last year and had a 2.27 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 61:21 K:BB across 47.2 innings, and he should fill a high-leverage role again in 2023.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Notches 10th hold
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Suarez picked up a hold against the Cardinals on Wednesday with a perfect inning of work.
Padres starter Blake Snell tossed seven scoreless frames before departing having thrown 117 pitches. Suarez was called upon to be the bridge to closer Josh Hader and needed just 12 pitches to retire St. Louis in order. It was the former's seventh outing in September, and he's yet to give up a run this month. Suarez has emerged as a key high-leverage arm for San Diego this season, posting a 2.63 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 49:18 K:BB over 41 innings while notching four wins, one save and 10 holds.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Works eighth inning Sunday
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Suarez earned a hold against the Nationals on Sunday, allowing two hits and striking out two batters in one inning of work.
When closer Josh Hader was demoted out of the role Saturday, some though Suarez could be first in line to soak up his save opportunities. That hasn't been the case so far, as Luis Garcia got a save Saturday and Nick Martinez notched one Sunday. Suarez was chosen to work the eighth inning in Sunday's contest, and he recorded his sixth straight scoreless appearance despite surrendering a pair of hits. There's still a chance Suarez could get an occasional closing chance while Hader tries to regain his form, but it's evident that he'll compete with others for such opportunities.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Back from injured list
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Suarez (knee) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Saturday.
Suarez returns to the 40-man and 26-man rosters after he underwent a cleanup procedure on his knee back in June. A star closer in Japan, Suarez has earned only one save to date in his rookie season in Major League Baseball. However, he's proven to be a more-than-capable bullpen arm with a 3.09 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 29:13 K:BB in 22 appearances.
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Padres' Robert Suarez: Begins rehab assignment
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Suarez (knee) began a rehab assignment Tuesday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Suarez landed on the injured list after undergoing knee surgery in early June, but he is ready for the final step in his recovery. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list earlier this month, but he could be ready to return when first eligible Aug. 5.
