Phillies will try something different to help the struggling Taijuan Walker
Walker will pitch Wednesday against the Cubs as planned, but he will come in after an opener, a "trial and error" move to address his issues in the first inning.
Taijuan Walker is leaving the Phillies’ starting rotation.
Sort of.
Walker will pitch Wednesday at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, as planned, but won’t start the game. Instead, he will come in after an opener, a move that manager Rob Thomson described as “trial and error” to help mitigate the embattled right-hander’s first-inning struggles.
“I told them I would try anything,” Walker said Sunday.
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Nothing worked through four starts. Walker allowed 28 hits and 10 walks in 18⅔ innings and has the highest ERA by a Phillies pitcher through four starts (9.16) since Jake Thompson’s 9.78 mark in 2016.
First innings have been especially brutal for Walker. Eleven of the 20 runs against him have come in the first inning, dropping the Phillies down 4-0, 3-0, 2-0, and 2-0 holes.
What makes the Phillies think he will fare any better if he begins a game in the second inning or later?
“Well,” Thomson said, “we changed his process the last time so he could start the game. Now it’s just kind of trial and error. He’s just got to attack and not get behind the count.”
Indeed, the Phillies changed Walker’s pregame routine before his start Friday night. Rather than going through a typical warmup, he long-tossed and threw a high-intensity bullpen session to simulate an inning shortly before starting the game.
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And he still allowed two first-inning runs on two hits and two walks.
“They gave me a shot of trying it and it didn’t work out, so we’re going to try an opener and see how it goes,” Walker said. “Just going to keep the same routine, and just, it’s going to start a little bit later. That’s it.”
Walker began the season as the No. 5 starter because Zack Wheeler is recovering from surgery last September to treat thoracic outlet syndrome. Wheeler made his fifth start on a minor-league assignment Sunday. He will travel with the team this week and almost certainly start next weekend in Atlanta.
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In that case, Wednesday would be the last time Walker’s turn in the rotation will come up, unless the Phillies use six starters. Thomson allowed for that possibility amid a stretch of 32 games in 34 days, but Walker’s struggles could give them pause.
Given the way he has pitched, can Walker even help the Phillies in any role, including long relief?
“On our major league staff? Yes,” Thomson said. “We think he’s going to get better.”
Gage Wood might have pitched the best game in college baseball history 10 months ago. Now, with Andrew Painter in the majors, Wood is the Phillies’ top pitching prospect. The 22-year-old righty joins Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to discuss his strong start to the season. Watch here.
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