Phillies’ Taijuan Walker feels ‘really good’ after second rehab start, could return sooner than expected

It’s possible that Taijuan Walker (right shoulder soreness) could be back in the Phillies’ starting rotation earlier than expected. Manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday that Walker came off his start at triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday feeling “really, really good,” and will throw a bullpen session after that. The Phillies will make a plan for him from there, but it is possible that he doesn’t make another minor league start.

The Phillies initially said they wanted Walker to get up to about 100 pitches. He reached 78 pitches in the second start of his rehab assignment on Tuesday, allowing one earned run on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in 4⅔ innings. He averaged 90.7 mph on his sinker (his average in 2023 was 92.4 mph) but Thomson said he isn’t concerned.

“Not really,” he said. “It’s more about the shape of the stuff, ability to throw strikes, that type of thing.”

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He added: “I think you take the intensity of a big-league ballpark, big-league hitters, and it naturally goes up a little bit.”

It is worth noting that Walker’s velocity didn’t change much from his first outing on April 11. While pitching in low-A Clearwater, Walker averaged 91 mph on his four-seam fastball, his highest-velocity pitch of the outing. The hardest pitch he threw clocked in at 91.9 mph.

Thomson said what the rotation will look like when Walker returns remains an open question. Spencer Turnbull, who is filling in for Walker, struggled with his command in his last outing but has a 1.80 ERA in his three starts. Thomson hasn’t ruled out keeping Turnbull in the rotation. The Phillies are considering using him in a piggyback with another pitcher, going to a six-man rotation, or moving him to the bullpen.

Thomson said he doesn’t know who he’d pair Turnbull with in a piggyback.

“We’ll see,” Thomson said. “We haven’t really talked about it. But you can piggyback, you can move to a six-man rotation, there’s a lot of things we can do.”

There are risks involved with going to a six-man rotation. It takes a pitcher out of the bullpen, which can put a lot of stress on the relievers. Not every starter prefers more rest — even if that sounds counterintuitive — and Zack Wheeler is one of those pitchers.

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Last year, hitters slashed .189/.250/.277 against Wheeler when he was on four days’ rest (over 11 games). When he was on five days’ rest, that slash line increased to .247/.281/.403, and even more on six days’ rest: .258/.314/.430.

Aaron Nola, conversely, pitches better on six days’ rest (.184/.212/.330). Of course, they won’t stop being the Phillies’ No. 1 and 2 in a six-man rotation, but it is worth keeping in mind.

“I think it’s more about health than anything else,” Thomson said. “Just making sure some guys stay fresh.”