Phillies’ Taijuan Walker is moving out of the bullpen to start Thursday vs. the Mets

MILWAUKEE — Just over two weeks after his move to the Phillies’ bullpen, Taijuan Walker is a starter once again.

Walker’s move to the bullpen on Aug. 29 had been intended as temporary, as the Phillies expected him to arrive to spring training in 2025 ready to fight for a spot in the starting rotation. But he won’t have to wait that long for another opportunity. Impressed with Walker’s three scoreless relief innings on Saturday against the Mets, manager Rob Thomson tabbed him as the Phillies’ Thursday starter for a rematch against New York.

“I like the way he threw the ball the other day, I really do,” Thomson said. “And he’s the most veteran guy on the club, and with the work that he’s put in and the improvements that he’s made, I think he’s deserved it.”

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With the regular season winding down, the fifth spot in the starting rotation will likely be needed one additional time after Thursday, although the Phillies haven’t announced plans that far ahead.

Lefty Kolby Allard, the latest starter the Phillies tried in that fifth spot, struggled with his command on Saturday and was lifted after the third inning for Walker. Allard will be moving to the bullpen and can play a multi-inning relief role.

Saturday marked Walker’s first scoreless appearance of the season as he held the Mets to three hits. He said afterward that it was “the best I felt all year.”

In three appearances out of the bullpen, Walker has a 4.50 ERA — an improvement from his 6.50 ERA as a starter. However, his strikeout numbers have been down, as he struck out two in the last 14 innings and zero on Saturday. Walker has been sitting at 999 career strikeouts since Sept. 7.

He hasn’t been inducing much swing-and-miss, either. Out of his 37 total pitches on Saturday, Mets hitters whiffed on two. But Thomson is optimistic the results will follow, based on the amount of soft contact Walker has been inducing.

Walker said he used the extra time between appearances since the move to the bullpen to watch film and make mechanical adjustments that he feels have been paying off. His fastball velocity on Saturday averaged 92.4 mph, up from his season average of 91 mph, and he thinks he still has room for improvement.

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Thomson said he hasn’t talked to Walker yet about a pitch limit or inning limit for his first start since Aug. 28.

“He’s a horse,” Thomson said. “… I’m sure he’s going to say, ‘I’m going to go as far as you need me to go.’”

At the Phillies facilities in Clearwater, Fla., Spencer Turnbull (right upper back strain) is scheduled to throw batting practice on Tuesday, which he rescheduled from Monday to throw a higher-volume session. Thomson would like Turnbull to pitch in a game in triple-A Lehigh Valley before rejoining the Phillies bullpen, but the IronPigs season ends on Sept. 22. If he’s not ready before the season concludes, another option would be Turnbull pitching in simulated games at the Clearwater facilities.

Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter (Tommy John surgery) is also scheduled to throw on Tuesday.

Zack Wheeler (15-6, 2.60 ERA) is scheduled to start on Tuesday against Milwaukee right-hander Frankie Montas (7-10, 4.49).