August 29, 2024
Kyle Ross/USA Today Sports
Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker is moving to the bullpen after yet another rough start.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday afternoon that veteran starter Taijuan Walker — who allowed 13 hits without striking out a single batter in a blowup start on Wednesday afternoon against the Houston Astros — will move to the bullpen, according to various reports out of Citizens Bank Park.
Per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Thomson said the team will call up a new No. 5 starter before Tuesday's series opener in Toronto, when Walker would have been slated to be on the mound against the Blue Jays. As left-hander Kolby Allard will not yet eligible to be recalled from Triple-A, the logical choice to make that start appears to be rookie right-hander Tyler Phillips, who after a strong start to his major-league career was crushed by opposing hitters — and has not been good since returning to Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies are moving Taijuan Walker to the bullpen, Rob Thomson said. They’ll call someone up to start Tuesday in Toronto. Good chance it’s Tyler Phillips.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 29, 2024
Walker, 32, is in the second season of a four-year, $72 million contract that has aged very poorly. Walker was slightly below league average in 2023; the Phillies believed similar production as an innings-eater would be valuable this season. But Walker has had two lengthy stints on the Injured List, and at no point in the season has he been even close to slightly below league average.
In 14 starts in 2024, Walker has only made it through 70.2 innings and has a 6.50 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Frankly, there are no indicators in any of his statistical profile that he can be an effective in any role as a major-league pitcher at this point. His velocity has continued to decline, his go-to splitter has not stifled opposing hitters whatsoever and he rarely generates whiffs.
Of Walker's 212 career appearances in the majors, 208 have been starts, and three of his relief appearances came when he was a 21-year-old with the Seattle Mariners in 2014. His one relief appearance since came in 2021 in a game that was suspended due to rain in the first inning — effectively a start.
So, in addition to Walker's ability to get outs at this level very much in question, he also is entering uncharted territory.
According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, whichever player(s) occupy the fifth starting spot in the Phillies' starting rotation is likely to make five starts between now and the end of the regular season.
Rob Thomson said the new No. 5 starter will pitch Tuesday in Toronto. Probably Tyler Phillips. No announcement on that yet.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) August 29, 2024
Kolby Allard is not eligible to be recalled from Triple-A until Sept. 10. He could be an option at some point. No. 5 starter will probably make 5 starts.
Barring an injury to any of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez, whoever makes those starts will not be relied on in October. The Phillies just need some combination of players to give them passable starts where they allow the offense to stay in the game. Phillips and Allard are the likeliest candidates to combine to make those five starts, though starter Kyle Tyler was recently claimed on waivers and has made two solid starts for the IronPigs.
If anything, though, the Phillies' apparent attempt to piece together a month's worth of starts from depth pieces highlights the importance of their four high-caliber arms — Wheeler, Nola, Suárez and Sánchez — staying healthy and being at their best.
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