BOSTON — The Red Sox will hand the ball to Ranger Suarez on Thursday night for his first appearance against the Phillies, the team he spent eight seasons with before signing with Boston in January.

Suarez, who left his last start on May 3 and entered Thursday with a 2-2 record and a 2.77 ERA, is set to pitch at Fenway Park against a Philadelphia lineup that includes Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Garcia, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, J.T. Realmuto, Reyes and Sosa. Jesús Luzardo will start for the Phillies, who are trying to steady themselves after Boston beat them 3-1 on Wednesday night.

The timing gives the game more edge than a normal midweek matchup. Boston has scored three runs or fewer at Fenway Park 15 times this season, and the Red Sox entered Thursday just 1-4-1 in series play at home, leaving little margin for another quiet night at the plate. Wednesday’s win came on Ceddanne Rafaela’s pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-out, two-run home run in the sixth inning, the kind of swing that has kept Boston afloat when the offense has stalled.

That is also the backdrop for Suarez’s return. He spent eight seasons in Philadelphia before the Red Sox gave him a five-year, $130 million contract in January, a move that turned him from a familiar face in the Phillies’ clubhouse into the pitcher they now have to solve. Jose Alvarado said he misses Suarez and said he did a lot of good things for the team, but added that it is business and that Suarez will try to beat them while they try to beat him.

There is still a practical question at the center of the night: how much Suarez can give Boston after not appearing since May 3. The Red Sox do not need a sentimental outing. They need innings, and they need them against a Philadelphia club sending Luzardo to the mound with a 3-3 record and a 5.77 ERA. If Suarez is sharp, Boston gets a chance to turn a reunion into a useful win. If he is limited, the Red Sox may have to keep winning the hard way, one tight game at a time.