Phillies’ Taijuan Walker won’t pitch for a few days due to right knee soreness

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker has yet to pitch in a spring training game, and it appears that he won’t over the next few days. Manager Rob Thomson said on Friday that Walker is dealing with right knee soreness.

”Tai had a couple of days off for a personal reason, last week,” Thomson said. “And then he came back and he threw batting practice [Thursday]. And he came in [Friday] … it’s just normal spring training soreness. His right knee is a little bit sore. So we’re just going to back him off a little bit and get him going over the next couple of days again.”

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It’s unclear how severe the injury is, or whether this will impact Walker’s ability to be ready by the start of the season. The Phillies have a few options they could lean on. Recently acquired right-hander Spencer Turnbull had a good outing on Friday, and has 302⅓ big league innings of starting experience.

Turnbull allowed no hits or walks in his two innings of work against the Marlins, with four strikeouts.

When asked what he’d need to see from Turnbull, Thomson said, “health and strikes.”

”Because his stuff is there, and he can pitch,” Thomson said of Turnbull. “He’s very poised. He’s not going to scare away from trouble. So, if he’s throwing strikes with his stuff, he’s going to be fine.”

Other options are Nick Nelson, Kolby Allard and Dylan Covey. Covey, though, was checked out by a trainer during his outing on Friday. Thomson pulled him out of the seventh inning early as a precaution.

”He’s a twitcher on the mound, but it seemed like a little bit more than normal,” Thomson said. “The velocity was kind of normal on the fastball and the cutter. So I just asked him, ‘Are you telling me the truth? You’re OK?’ And he said, ‘I’m fine, I want to keep going.’

”After the third hitter I didn’t want to take any chances, so I went and got him.”

Thomson added: “We’ll check him [Saturday].”

On Friday afternoon, outfielder Brandon Marsh took live batting practice for the first time since undergoing left knee arthroscopic debridement surgery last month. He hit a few balls that almost went out.

”He’s doing the Trajekt [pitching machine], and needs to get some velocity, and his timing down,” Thomson said. “Check all of the boxes. We don’t have a timeline for when he’s going to play in a [spring training] game. But he’s getting better everyday.”

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Mick Abel was scheduled to start on Saturday but might not be able to make it. There is an illness going around the Phillies’ big league and minor league clubhouse. The Phillies are going to check on him on Saturday morning … Zack Wheeler took some time off because his wife, Dominique, gave birth to their third child. Wheeler will be back in camp on Saturday.