The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the top teams in baseball, thanks in large part to the pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation. Despite owning a 3.62 ERA and recording the most strikeouts (369) in the third-most innings pitched (335 1/3) entering Monday, the Phillies’ starting rotation has recently raised some questions.
Long-time Phillies starter Aaron Nola was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 14 with an ankle injury, but a setback has delayed his recovery and timeline to return, per Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation. The 11-year veteran isn’t likely to return until mid-June and plans to make a rehab start in the minor leagues before taking the mound for the Phillies.
With Nola out, the Phillies called up Mick Abel to make his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 18. After an impressive outing, the Phillies sent the young pitcher back down to Triple-A and moved forward with veteran Taijuan Walker in the starting rotation.
Phillies' Mick Abel decision signals big roster shake-up fans have been waiting for
The Phillies are recalling Abel to start on Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays and are moving Walker to the bullpen, per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber. Abel and Walker were on the same schedule as both pitched Friday, so the roster decision made sense. The 23-year-old will get another start or two in the big leagues to prove his worth to the organization as Nola continues to rehab.
The decision came down to the fact that the Phillies believe moving Walker to the bullpen, which could use much-needed help, and giving Abel another shot in the big leagues gives them the best chance at winning.
Mick Abel ties the @Phillies record since at least 1901 (Curt Simmons, 1947) with the most punchouts in an MLB debut!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 18, 2025
6 IP
5 H
0 R
0 BB
9 K pic.twitter.com/dhjGXP6rmt
After a disastrous 2024 season, Walker began the 2025 season in the Phillies’ starting rotation while Ranger Suárez was returning from a back injury. The right-hander owned a 2.54 ERA through six starts before moving to the bullpen upon Suárez’s return, a significant improvement from his 7.10 ERA a season ago.
Walker made just two appearances in the bullpen, in which he owned a 3.00 ERA with nine strikeouts in six innings before returning to the starting rotation on May 21. The 32-year-old has allowed 13 hits, seven earned runs and three walks across nine innings in his last two starts and is moving back to the bullpen.
The Phillies’ bullpen has been a weakness in 2025, and the team has been experimenting with ways to compensate for the loss of José Alvarado, who was suspended for 80 games and the playoffs for PED use. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, the coaching staff is intrigued by Walker’s potential as a high-leverage reliever and doesn’t want to keep flipping him back and forth (subscription required) between the starting rotation and the bullpen.
Walker was set to move to the bullpen when Nola returns, so the veteran now gets to have a sense of normalcy and continuity in his new role.