Phillies giving Taijuan Walker another start, but with a catch

Much has been talked about for Philadelphia Phillies starter Taijuan Walker and his recent struggles since coming off the injured list a couple of weeks ago. Although he hasn’t been blown out in every single one of his starts like his last one, he just hasn’t been getting the job done, to the frustrations of Phillies fans.

Nevertheless, it appears as though Walker is still in line for another start, but it comes with a catch. Originally scheduled to start on Thursday against the Atlanta Braves, Walker will now start on Wednesday in the series finale against the Houston Astros instead, according to Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation.

Phillies giving Taijuan Walker another start, but with a catch

In doing so, Walker will now be pitching on regular rest while Cristopher Sánchez’s start will be pushed back to Thursday. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he planned to give Sánchez some extra rest.

The move makes total sense as Walker has struggled with a career 5.40 ERA against the Braves, as opposed to a more modest 4.52 ERA along with five wins under his belt against the Astros.

On top of that, Sánchez has already made 25 starts to date this season, which is already seven more than his previous career high of 18 set in 2023. With Sánchez being one of the more welcome surprises on the Phillies roster this season, it will be vital to keep him as fresh as possible, even if that involves pitching him on more days of rest. That way, by managing his innings, it should keep him as effective as possible down the stretch and potentially into the postseason as well.

"It gives Sánchez an extra extra day," Thomson said before Monday's game, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman. "Sanchy pitched really well against Atlanta last time. He's fine physically but I'm worried about those innings."

As for Walker, who has posted a dismal 9.26 ERA and 1.97 WHIP while giving up 12 earned runs, including five home runs, in just 11 2/3 innings pitched in his past three starts, it gives him perhaps a penultimate opportunity to get his game back on track against a team he has had success previously against.

However, if his struggles persist, his spot in the rotation could be in serious jeopardy heading into the final month of the 2024 MLB season.