The 29-year-old southpaw punched out eight batters on the afternoon, throwing 53 of his 78 pitches for strikes. The Phillies had wanted to stretch him out to 90 or more pitches before he returns, so there’s a chance that a fifth rehab start could be in the cards here. It’s also possible that the Phillies bring him back if Cristopher Sánchez (forearm) is unable to make his next start.

Suarez, 29, threw 59 pitches in his five-inning outing for Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. The goal for the southpaw now is for him to reach 80 pitches, and if things go well, it’s possible he could make his next start with the Phillies. Phillies manager Rob Thomson suggested that the team would prefer Suarez is stretched out to 90-plus pitches, but that could change if he looks healthy during Sunday’s tilt.

Suárez struck out five, issued two walks and threw 59 pitches (40 strikes). He’s expected to make another rehab start this weekend. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Suárez will return as a starter, which means Taijuan Walker is most likely headed to the bullpen in early May.

Suárez threw 54 pitches, and was sitting in the 91-92 mph range with his fastball, in his latest rehab outing. The 29-year-old lefty continues to progress towards his season debut after opening the year on the shelf with lower back stiffness. He’ll likely need at least one additional rehab start before he’s ready to return to Philadelphia.