The Philadelphia Phillies took two of three games on the road against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.
It was a much-needed series win, and they are now 15-13 on the season.
Despite coming out victorious during that set, it seems as if the Phillies are going to be chasing the New York Mets in the division all year.
Staying healthy, and getting their injured players back is going to be key for this team.
The good news for Philadelphia is Ranger Suarez just completed his fourth rehab start. He threw 4.2 innings for the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs where he allowed four hits and he struck out eight batters.
That is the most strikeouts Suarez has had in an outing during his rehab assignment in Triple-A. He also threw 78 pitches, which could indicate the left-hander is very close to returning to the big league mound.
Once he is ready to return, Suarez will slot back into the rotation.
The starting five for the Phillies has been solid but not great. However, with Suarez returning, that could change since the most likely candidate to be pushed to the bullpen is Taijuan Walker.
Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Brandon Marsh completed six innings of game action on Sunday. Marsh has been sidelined with a right hamstring strain, which is a tough injury to come back from in just 10 days.
The outfielder was 0-2 in the game with two strikeouts.
But the more disappointing news, per Seidman, is Marsh left the game with a right hamstring cramp.
That is the same hamstring he strained almost two weeks ago.
The fact that it cramped up on Marsh during the game could mean he is not fully healed.
Philadelphia will see how he is doing on Monday, but this is a setback for the center fielder.
Johan Rojas has been filling in for the injured Marsh and he has started to play really well. The 24-year-old is now slashing .265/.315/.306. He is not going to hit for much power, but he has been making consistent contact and his defense is good enough to stay in the lineup.
Even when Marsh returns, he might not be the everyday player considering what Rojas has been able to do in his absence.
The Phillies are still trying to figure some things out.
Winning a series on the road against the Cubs is a great sign of things to come, though.
Looking forward, Philadelphia plays host to the Washington Nationals to begin the week before welcoming Arizona Diamondbacks for the weekend series.
