The Philadelphia Phillies are getting a boost to their starting rotation.. Taijuan Walker is set to return on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. This will be his first major league start since June 21.
Walker has battled the injury bug all season. The right-hander started the year on the injured list and didn’t make his first start of the season until April 28 against the San Diego Padres. He went 6 ⅓ innings and allowed eight hits, two walks and six earned runs, including two home runs in that start. Spencer Turnbull took Walker’s place in the rotation to start the season, and he pitched very well in his six starts. This caused a controversy with Phillies coaches and the fans of who to keep in the starting rotation at the time. Manager Rob Thomson ultimately chose Walker and moved Turnbull to the bullpen.
Walker didn’t pitch particularly well after his return. The 32-year-old is 3–3 with a 5.60 ERA in 10 starts this season. The Phillies are paying him $72 million to be a starter for this team. Walker hasn’t lived up to his contract, however. He has a 4.67 ERA in 41 starts across his two seasons with the Phillies. He also didn’t sniff any action during the Phillies’ 2023 postseason run, which led to some frustration from the Phillies’ pitcher. It’s safe to say Walker isn’t a fan-favorite in the city of brotherly love.
What to Expect in Walker’s Return
Walker made two rehab starts with the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate, Reading. His first start was on July 31 in which he went 2 ⅔ innings and allowed four hits and two earned runs. His next start was August 7 in which he went five innings while allowing two hits and one earned run.
The Phillies are hoping Walker can replicate what he did in his second rehab start. If he can give them five or six innings while only allowing a few runs, then that should make the coaching staff happy. All Walker has to do is eat up some innings and keep the Phillies in the game. He can’t go out there and pitch less than four innings each start and allow five or more runs.
There’s 44 games left in the regular season. Walker will only have a few more starts this season, especially if Thomson opts to go to a six-man rotation when Ranger Suárez returns from his injury. He just has to be decent the rest of the season. Walker most likely won’t pitch in the playoffs like last year unless he comes out of the bullpen. The Phillies need him for seven-to-nine more appearances this season, that’s all.
Walker’s return probably isn’t something that Phillies fans are excited for. However, he’s in the middle of a four-year contract and won’t be a free agent until 2027. The Phillies will continue to use Walker unless the front office finds a way to move on from him. Baseball is a business, so big-money players are going to play.
More Philadelphia Phillies Articles
More MLB Articles
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
- Category
-
Philadelphia Phillies
