Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker will make his spring training debut on Saturday

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker (sore right knee) was originally scheduled to pitch on Monday, but he will now make his first spring training start on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager Rob Thomson said.

“I think I told you it was going to be batting practice [on Saturday],” Thomson said. “We’ve switched gears. He feels so good that we’re just going to put him in the game.”

» READ MORE: Bryson Stott, Ranger Suárez shine in Phillies’ 6-3 win over Houston Astros

Walker took a few personal days off in late February, and when he returned, he felt soreness in his right knee. The Phillies gave him some time to “lower the intensity,” in Walker’s words, and he began pitching off flat ground last weekend.

The right-handed starter said on March 2 that he is not concerned about getting built up by the start of the regular season.

Thomson said Walker likely will throw two innings.

Starter Ranger Suárez was asked on Friday when the last time he had a full, healthy spring was.

“I can’t remember,” he said.

Last March, Suárez was pitching for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic when he suffered a left elbow strain. He didn’t return until mid-May. He doesn’t take his health for granted.

“That’s the most important thing,” he said. “To have a full spring training and stay healthy. The last few years, I was injured and haven’t had great starts to the season. It’s important for me to stay healthy and for the season to come.”

Suárez said he is feeling good mentally and physically. He said he worked more on his fitness this offseason.

“Last year I didn’t do as much,” he said. “I was in a little bit of a rush because of the World Baseball Classic.”

Suárez said he is roughly the same weight — 217 pounds — but he feels stronger. His goal for this season is to be more on a Zack Wheeler/Aaron Nola type of workload.

“That’s the goal of every starter,” Suárez said. “To throw 200 innings and to make all of his starts.”

The left-handed pitcher now has two spring starts under his belt, amounting to 6⅓ innings. He’s allowed three hits over that span with seven strikeouts.

Longtime Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino arrived in camp on Friday to work as a guest instructor. … Prospect Mick Abel, who was scratched from his start last week because of an illness going around the clubhouse, threw a bullpen on Friday. Orion Kerkering and Cristopher Sánchez, who also fell victim to the illness going around, threw a “touch and feel” on Friday. The Phillies are hopeful that they’ve gotten past the worst of it.