Philly Leader

Taijuan Walker is no longer a starter for the Philadelphia Phillies. He will be a long man in the bullpen through September, but his future remains uncertain.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced prior to Thursday's series opener against the Braves that Walker has been removed from the rotation following his latest poor start in Wednesday's 10-0 loss to the Astros. Walker allowed 13 hits and six runs in six innings against Houston. He is 3-6 with a 6.50 ERA in 14 starts this season, including 0-3 with a 9.17 ERA in four starts since returning from the injured list on Aug. 13. The Phillies have lost each of his last nine starts.

Rookie right-hander Tyler Phillips is most likely to take Walker’s spot on Tuesday in Toronto, although no official announcement has been made. Left-hander Kolby Allard has pitched well but is not eligible to be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley until Sept. 10, barring an injury.

The Phillies hope Walker will pick up a few innings here and there but are uncertain if he will be more effective as a reliever. "Well, I'm hoping he will be," Thomson said. "I'm hoping his stuff will tick up -- the velocity will tick up -- and he'll get out there and just power the ball through the zone. So, we'll see."

There had been speculation that Walker could be designated for assignment (DFA), but he is in the second year of a four-year, $72 million contract. If DFA’d on Thursday, they would have owed him approximately $39 million.

The Phillies have never come close to swallowing such a large contract before, though other teams have done so with similar financial obligations: Pablo Sandoval by the Red Sox in 2017 ($49 million), Robinson Canó by the Mets in 2022 ($37.6 million), José Abreu by the Astros earlier this season ($30 million), and Madison Bumgarner by the Diamondbacks in 2023 ($34 million).

Thomson indicated they still believe Walker can be a viable starter at some point, possibly not until 2025 if he remains with the organization. “I feel for him because he's put so much time and effort into this thing,” Thomson said. “He's worked extremely hard... He's not the same guy that he was.”

Walker was on a program designed to increase velocity but did not have enough time to complete it before being moved to relief duties.

Looking ahead to next season, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, and Cristopher Sánchez are expected to fill four rotation spots for 2025. Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter might also join them at some point next year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Thomson stated that whoever starts Tuesday in Toronto would likely make two starts before reevaluation occurs. The No. 5 starter is anticipated to make five more starts before season’s end, which could impact Philadelphia’s postseason seeding.